Rage Awakened
by P-Artsypants
Summary: Ten years ago, Terra, Aqua, and Ventus lost their fellow apprentice, Sora, in Deep Jungle. Now, they are to return with two new students, Riku and Kairi, to lock the heart of the world. All the while, something watches from the trees. Feral!Sora AU
1. In Which They Disembark

The Land of Departure. Home to Master Eraqus and his seven keyblade warriors.

The oldest was Terra, 28, a Master. He specialized in brute strength and using his environment to his advantage.

The second was Aqua, 27, the first Master. A mage with a gift of elemental magics.

The next oldest was Riku, 23, the third Master. He had been chosen by the keyblade, but fell to darkness before he could wield it. Once he recovered himself, he came to Master Eraqus to train and banish the darkness from himself.

Next in the line was Ventus, 22, a boy who had been studying under Eraqus for years. He had arrived in the Land of Departure with no memory of his past, and no darkness in his heart. Though he is not a master yet, his strikes continue to be the swiftest and most accurate, though not always the strongest.

Next was Kairi, 16, a Princess from Radiant Garden. The newest student under Eraqus. She, like Ventus, has no darkness in her heart. Many in her home world believe that's why she is able to wield the Keyblade.

Finally, the youngest: Sora. Able to summon the keyblade at the age of three, the youngest anyone had in known history. Though, this is all that anyone knows about him anymore. The memories of those who knew him are bittersweet, and therefore, forbidden.

As of late, the students had been busy on the field. Darkness was growing, taking over and swallowing worlds. The job of the keyblade warrior was to go out, find the heart of a world, and lock it with the keyblade, forbidding the darkness from overwhelming it and taking it over. So far, their efforts hadn't been in vain.

But as Master Eraqus waited for everyone to return from their latest missions before assigning more, the pupils began to worry that something was dire.

They assembled in the foyer, preparing to depart for the next assignment.

"I want to express my pride and gratitude for all the hard work you all have done in these hard times. Because of your efforts, almost all the worlds that were in jeopardy have been saved. Though some were lost to the darkness, we cannot dwell in what was.

"There is one world left that needs to be locked. It requires all of you to go. Terra and Aqua are prepared to administer the Mark of Mastery exam to Ventus during your mission. Riku, your job will be to accompany Kairi whenever the party separates. This world is treacherous, and should not be traversed lightly."

"Master Eraqus," Terra spoke up. "Though you gave Aqua and I instructions on what to look for in the exam, you didn't actually say what world we were going to."

Eraqus looked down to the floor, hesitating. Finally he answered, "Terra, it is the world in which you took your Mark of Mastery Exam."

Aqua and Terra both gasped in shock and fell silent.

Riku, Kairi, and Ventus studied the reaction quietly. Aqua often talked about her exam, and everyone had been around to witness Riku's, but when questioned, Terra would simply supply, "I passed, that's all that matters." Eraqus and Aqua didn't elaborate on it much either, only saying that the exam itself was a success, but something tragic had happened immediately afterward that was still too painful to talk about.

Even ten years after the fact.

"Master, surely there's no reason to lock that world? There's no people there."

"Whether or not a world is worth saving is not up to you to decide. I do understand your concerns and reservations. But as keyblade wielders, it is our job to protect all worlds from the darkness. No matter how rugged or barren it may be."

Kairi was the brave one that spoke up, "Master? What happened that was so...traumatizing?"

Aqua, Terra, and Eraqus looked at each other, considering. Finally, Eraqus answered. "Ten years ago, not long after Ventus came to be with us, the five of us travelled to this world, Deep Jungle."

"Wait, the five of you? Eraqus, Terra, Aqua, and Ventus." Riku counted off on his fingers. "Who was the fifth?"

"Sora. A former wielder."

Kairi, Riku, and Ventus all gasped.

"There was another one?" Asked Ventus, "Why haven't you ever talked about them? And...why don't I remember?"

"It's still too painful to talk about." Terra admitted.

"When you first came here, Ven, you weren't really all there."

"I know," he agreed. "But I thought I would be able to remember a whole other person."

Aqua smiled fondly, though it was bittersweet. "Sora loved you. When you were introduced to us, he started asking questions a mile a minute, so much so that you started crying because you were overwhelmed. He did his best to make sure you were always included in things. He actually got you to smile and laugh."

Ventus felt his heart ache. "Really? How old was he?"

"At the time, he was six." Eraqus explained. "Sora was...a prodigy. He was able to summon a keyblade at only the age of three. He couldn't even speak in full sentences, but he was swinging a full length keyblade around."

"At three years old? That's amazing!"

"It was remarkable. The youngest in recorded history. He came from Riku's world."

"The Destiny Islands? Really?"

"Yes. It took his parents some convincing. I assured them that his training would be light until he got older, and that he would remain safe...but..." He trailed off, thinking. "It was the first world we took Ventus to. All of us went. Besides Terra's exam, I thought it would be a good way to bond. When the exam time came, Sora and Ventus stayed behind at camp. And when we returned…" Master Eraqus stopped, clenching his eyes shut and shaking his head.

Terra continued for him, seeing that Eraqus was having a hard time speaking. "When we came back, the camp was trashed. The tents were ripped to shreds, Ven was scratched and bloody, and Sora was nowhere to be found. When we asked what happened, Ven totally shut down. We searched for three days, but all we could find were his clothes, ripped and covered in blood. Ven found them first, and held them the whole way home. He finally came around to speaking three weeks later, and when we broached the topic of Sora, he had no idea who we were talking about. It seemed like the event was so traumatic he unintentionally blocked it out."

Ventus wanted to cry. His hazy memories at the beginning were often a sore spot for him, but to completely forget a person? A friend? It was heartbreaking.

"Since that incident, I had placed a ban on Deep Jungle, but now since you are all capable of protecting yourselves, I am lifting that ban, with the hope that you will lock the heart of the world, and return safely. And for Aqua and Terra, the world may provide you with closure."

"Yes Master," everyone agreed with a bow.

—

The flight was quiet. This was the first mission on another world where everyone was present. For this occasion, they borrowed a gummi ship from Disney Castle to get everyone there together.

"What's Deep Jungle like?" Asked Kairi, breaking everyone's thoughts.

"Well," said Terra with a little laugh. "It's a Deep Jungle. The trees stretch up hundreds of feet, and there's all kinds of vines and plants everywhere."

"We set up camp in a bamboo grove when we went. But, it might be a good idea to set up somewhere else instead." Aqua posed. "There's no telling how much the world has changed since we were there."

"There's no people there?" Kairi clarified.

"No, but there were a lot of gorillas, if I remember correctly."

"Gorillas!?" Ventus and Kairi shouted in unison.

"Now don't get too excited!" Aqua reprimanded. "They're still wild animals. This isn't the zoo, and they will rip your arms off if you get too close. If you see them, leave them alone. Along with any other wildlife you see. We still don't know what trashed the camp and took Sora. It could be anything."

Despite Kairi's efforts, the ride fell silent once again.

—

They landed in the evening. The light fading under the canopy of leaves.

"Well, doesn't like we're going to get much searching in for the time being." Riku noted, peering up to the treetops.

"You're right," Aqua agreed. "We best find a place to camp first, and then we can begin our search in the morning."

All together, they started hiking through the brush, taking care to watch out for snakes and other creatures.

Kairi did her best to take it all in, the patterns on the leaves, the flowers desperately sprouting among the tree roots, the vines that twisted and tangled together to create lacy patterns.

She stopped suddenly at a vine that looked brown, and oddly like a rope and not a vine. She followed it up with her eyes, and then announced to the group, "Hey, what if we camped up there?"

The group halted and followed Kairi's point, only to see a tree house sitting in the branches of the huge tree next to them.

"I don't remember seeing that the last time we were here." Terra thought aloud.

Riku summoned his armor. "I'll go check it out, make sure it's stable." He transformed his keyblade into a hover board and ascended into the trees. A few minutes later, a boat lowered to the ground. "Hop in!" Riku shouted from above.

They went one at a time, just to be safe, until everyone was up in the tree.

"Wow, this place is really nice!" Kairi exclaimed, looking over the multiple floors.

"That's not the word I would use," said Ventus, staring at the moss growing on the wall.

Aqua spoke with Terra. "So there are people here after all."

"At least there were at one time," he winced. "Who knows how long this has been here?"

"At least a few years, considering the wood rot." She kicked at a wall at the corner. "But it looks stable enough."

"Hello?" Kairi shouted up to the rafters. "Is anybody here? Do you mind if we camp here for the night?"

"Don't bother, Kai," Said Riku, "this place is totally abandoned."

"I don't know," said Ventus, looking over some barrels and crates in the corner. "There's some good stuff here. It might still be occupied."

"What person in their right mind would live in a place like this?"

"If they aren't expecting guests, I'm sure the place would look like junk."

"Hey, check this out." Riku shoved a crate out of the way, revealing a fireplace made of rocks and clay built into the wall. "Looks like we'll stay nice and toasty, and Ventus can make us Hobo pies."

"Yay camping!"

The group set to work setting up camp. There was no need for tents, but the boys strung up mosquito nets for some protection. Aqua and Kairi laid out the sleeping bags and stacked crates to make a dressing area.

"If someone built this treehouse here, there must be water nearby." Riku posed, "Aqua come with me."

"Why me?"

"It's only appropriate."

"Oh haha." She said sarcastically, picking up her canteen. "Then I expect everyone else to get started on dinner while we're gone."

"Yes ma'am!" Ventus saluted.

Terra and Ventus worked together to put the ingredients for dinner together, while Kairi climbed up on the second level, which was just a balcony.

There was a pile of rags laid out on the ground, and she wondered if it was supposed to be a bed.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something move.

"Hello?" She called.

"Yes Kairi?" Asked Ventus from below.

"No...I just thought—never mind."

Soon, the sun set, and the team called it a day. They sat around talking for a little while, the excitement of all being together in a new world buzzing between them.

"We should get to bed," Aqua reminded, motherly. "The sooner we get up, the sooner we can get started looking for the heart."

"Early to bed and early to rise makes a man, healthy, wealthy, and wise." Ventus parroted, like a good noodle.

"Ah," Riku chimed in. "But early to rise and early to bed makes a man healthy, but socially dead."

"Good night everyone!" Terra shouted, ending the argument.

—

Kairi was an early riser. Awaking with the sun. Ventus was usually shortly behind. Eraqus had theorized that it was the light in their hearts that resonated with the early sun. That theory was held strongly, considering Terra and Riku were often up late into the night, and therefore up long after breakfast had been made.

Just as usual, Kairi was the first to wake at the crack of dawn. The sun's rays filtered in through the gaps in the wood of the walls. She blinked once, twice, and then realized what she was seeing.

A pair of eyes were staring into hers, watching.

She screamed, as expected.

The shriek woke everyone in camp, as well as scared off whatever had been studying her before she had the chance to get a good look at it.

"Geez, What gives Kai?" Asked Riku, just barely awake.

"I was—there—it was—something was staring at me!"

The rest of the team looked at each other and then burst out laughing.

"Did you forget we're in a jungle? I'm sure there's lots of things watching us." Aqua tried to pacify.

"Oh great, thanks for bringing that up. Now I'll never get back to sleep!" Terra whined.

"Oh grow up. We should all get up and get to work already. This isn't a pleasure outing!"

"Hey Kai, do us a favor and next time you make eye contact with something, try not to scream, okay?" Riku muttered, still moments away from falling back to sleep.

Kairi didn't respond. She didn't bother. But she knew one thing for certain:

Those were human eyes, and they were the bluest she'd ever seen.


	2. In Which the Heartless Appear

The group stood down below the treehouse, preparing their game plan for the day.

"Alright," said Terra. "Aqua, Ventus, and I will head North. Riku and Kairi head South. In three hours, we meet back at camp for lunch and report our findings."

"Sounds fine," said Riku, patting Kairi on the head. "Ready Princess?"

Kairi nodded enthusiastically.

"Please be careful," Aqua urged. "Watch out for Heartless and other wild beasts. There's no shame in running from a fight if it gets too dangerous."

"You underestimate us," Riku smirked. "I'm a master, and Kairi kicks ass in her own right. She'll be a master soon enough."

Kairi's smile wasn't as confident. "I can hold my own if I have to...but I'm glad Riku's got my back. At least I have my healing Magics."

"Never underestimate a good healer." Ventus quoted, like a good noodle.

"Can we go now? We're burning daylight!" Terra reprimanded.

Riku stuck his tongue out and escorted Kairi away, to the south.

They walked for a time, talking about this and that, always on edge and watching for heartless. The jungle was filled with soft noises of insects and animals in the distance. The wind rustled the leaves, and the air was damp with morning mist. "It's quiet," said Kairi. "Enemy wise, at least."

"Yeah," Riku agreed. "I honestly thought we'd encounter a heartless by now. But I haven't even seen a shadow. Unless...they aren't here because there's no humans."

She hesitated and then confessed, "hey...remember when I said I saw something staring at me this morning?"

"Yeah?"

"I...I'm pretty sure it was a person."

"Really? You think it was whoever built the treehouse? What did they look like?"

"I didn't really get a good look. My scream scared him off. But I'm pretty sure I was looking at human eyes."

"Hmm...maybe we'll see them again. Maybe not. Depends on if we find the heart soon."

"Do you think we're safe in the treehouse?"

He shrugged. "Honestly, I don't think anywhere in this world is _that _safe."

"I guess you're right."

Riku was a man of few words. He and Kairi were often paired up on missions, given that they were the most recent recruits. Terra, Aqua, and Ventus had a dynamic that was almost poetic, and it was hard to get into. So, Kairi and Riku had developed their own kind of rhythm.

Though, they were both very different people. Kairi saw that he cared about her, but he was often lost in his thoughts. Possibly thinking of regrets and the mistakes he made in the darkness. It was a curse that plagued him, and for a year, he lost himself physically and spiritually.

Only by the guidance of another keyblade wielder, King Mickey of Disney Castle, was he able to regain himself. And apparently, even that was a feat.

So, Kairi made it her personal mission to pull him out of his dark thoughts. He always answered her patiently, so she could only assume he appreciated it.

"Riku, can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"Why is Ventus only being tested for Master now? He's been training for at least ten years. You only trained for four before your exam."

"Well, I'm not sure, honestly. But I have thought about it. Now, I know that when Master Xehanort brought Ventus to Master Eraqus, he wasn't really himself."

"Wait, who's Master Xehanort?"

"You know, the creepy old bald man? He was there for my exam."

She frowned. "Hmm, I guess I don't remember him...oh! He has a keyblade with an eye in it, right?"

"That's him!"

"Gee, I almost forgot about him. Anyway, Master Xehanort brought Ventus...?"

"Right, when Ven arrived, he was...basically a husk. His heart had been damaged. Unlike you, he wasn't born with a heart of light, someone had stripped the darkness from it. And in the process, broke his heart in half."

"That's awful!" She cried, her heart aching for Ven.

"So he has had to relearn everything. I think Master Eraqus didn't want to burden him with the idea of Master before he was ready."

"That makes sense then. I just...always wondered why he wasn't a Master yet. Hopefully he does well today. What do they look for in the exam?"

"Well, I guess it depends on the fighter. When I was tested, Master Eraqus didn't look at my strength or accuracy, since I had that when I started. He looked at my magic, and to see if I could control the darkness in my heart in dire situations. I had to learn the hard way that relying on darkness for strength had more consequences than benefits. But you would know that already, so you wouldn't be tested on it. Nor would you on healing magic."

Kairi nodded, understanding. "What do you think are my weaknesses then? What should I work on?"

"I think it's important for every keyblade wielder to be able to hold their own in battle, without any magic. Using strength and the environment to their advantage."

"Like Terra?"

"Yeah, he's really good at that. Also knowing when you can't fight or shouldn't fight is wise. Knowing when to run from battle, or to ask for help."

"Got it."

"But Kairi, honestly, you've only been studying for a year, and you're doing awesome. Just keep working hard and you'll get there in no time. I mean it."

She grinned at him. "Thanks Riku, I'll do my best!"

He offered a smirk before turning his attention back to the trees. Then he sighed, "this would be so much easier if I knew what we were looking for. Like, a giant door, or the inside of a big ass tree."

"And there's no one to ask, either."

They reached a grove, separated by roots and rocks. They went different paths, but stayed close enough together to not lose one another.

And then came the chattering.

"Do you hear that?" Kairi asked softly.

"Yeah, sounds like...monkeys."

Kairi's gaze went up along a rock face. "Those aren't monkeys!"

Two dozen heartless, blue in color and resembling monkeys hung on the rock. And all of their attention was on the two below.

"Ready Kai?"

"Mhm!" She nodded, summoning her blade.

The heartless pounced, attacking with flurries of claws, while others volleyed coconuts at them from the sidelines. For every one she killed, two more would take its place. Riku had her back, so she focused her efforts to the front. Kairi just kept on fighting, unwittingly letting the heartless lead her farther and farther away from her partner.

Then she ran out of mana.

Now it was down to just her brute strength.

"There's no shame in asking for help!" She reminded herself. "Riku! Riku I need help!"

But he was no where to be seen, just Heartless as far as the eye could see.

"Can't run away…" she still tried, taking refuge behind a boulder. "At least I can use the environment to my advantage!" The heartless were quickly approaching her, so she dove under a cluster of tree roots, using them as a shield. The coconuts thumped against the hold, and Kairi tried to catch her breath and allow her mana to replenish.

But then she heard the distinct sound of the Heartless being slain. The sound they made when releasing their hearts.

When it was quiet, she poked her head out.

"Riku?"

But Riku was not who she saw. Instead, there was a boy, about her age, crouched not too far from her hiding place.

He turned and looked at her, and all the world froze as they realized what they were seeing.

He was skinny and dirty, his corded muscles visible under his tan skin. He was covered in scars, particularly a large 'X' shape on his chest. His brown hair was spiked in every direction, and a few sticks stuck out of the locks.

And he was only wearing a loin cloth.

Kairi opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but couldn't find the words. Not even a 'thank you'.

"Kairi!" Riku's voice came from somewhere behind her,

Out of reflex, she called back, "Riku! Over here!" But as she turned back around, the stranger was gone without a trace.

"Wait!" She called out, in vain. "Come back!"

Riku climbed over a root to get to her. "There you are! You okay?"

"I—there—he—boy!" She pointed to where the young man had been.

"What?"

"I saw a boy!"

Riku placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, "I think you're hysterical."

"I am not! I really did see him!"

"I believe you! I do! But you're hyperventilating. Let's go back to camp and meet up with everyone. Then you can tell the others about what you saw. 'Kay?"

She nodded, still looking around for some hint of the stranger. There was nothing. "Okay…"

—

Back at camp, Kairi ate without a word as Ventus excitedly recapped their morning.

"...and we figured out that the big fruit was causing the heartless to spawn so rapidly! So once Aqua destroyed it, we poofed the rest of them! Then the gorillas actually came out and studied us! It was really scary at first, but they gave me a banana! It was so cool!"

"That is awesome, Ven!" Riku praised. "How's the test? Are you a master yet?"

"Not quite yet," Terra said, optimism in his voice. "But he did a great job!"

Aqua explained, "One of the things we're supposed to look for was Ven's prioritizing abilities. He can get tunnel vision sometimes, but he made sure to slay any heartless that came anywhere near the gorillas first. I think that's why they gave him a present."

Ventus beamed.

"Well, glad to hear it Ven! I knew you could do it!"

"What about you guys? Any luck?"

Riku grinned. "Well, we didn't find the heart, but Kairi saw something."

At this, the group noticed that Kairi had been quiet up until now.

"Really?" Asked Terra, "What did you see?"

"I saw a person, a boy."

"What?!" The other three gasped, quite loudly.

"Why didn't you say anything sooner?!" Asked Aqua. "What happened?"

"He saved me. Riku and I got ambushed by a lot of heartless, the same kind you saw. And in the fight I got separated from Riku, and then I used up all my magic. I was hiding when...when he came. I only saw him for a little bit before he left."

"Did he say anything?"

"Not a word."

"What did he look like?"

"He...He was—" Now, Kairi was known across the worlds as not only a Princess, but a very smart, mature, level-headed young woman. So it was a little surprising when she automatically responded, "he was cute."

The boys all snickered as Aqua gave her a sympathetic gaze.

Kairi stammered. "N-No! I mean—! He was ripped! No! He—"

"Kairi," Aqua spoke between giggles. "You're going to have to be a little more descriptive than that."

She sighed, her face red. "He was pretty thin, young. He had brown, wild, spiky hair. And he had a lot of scars, a really big 'X' shaped one on his chest. And...he was only wearing a loin cloth."

Terra and Aqua looked at each other, deep in thought.

"Did he have a weapon?"

Now that she thought about it, she hadn't seen anything in his hands, but he had disposed of several heartless. Had he done so with his bare hands?

"Not that I saw," she finally answered.

"Could you see his eye color?"

"No, he was too far away." But she had a hunch they were blue, if it was the same boy from early this morning.

Aqua spoke softly, mostly just to Terra. "What if it's him?"

Terra shook his head. "What if it's not?"

"But Terra, what if _it is_? What are we going to do? He's been alone out here for ten years! And even if it isn't, this boy should be with people!"

"Who are you talking about, exactly?" Riku asked.

Instead of answering, Terra simply argued back, "Sora died. We saw all the evidence. And that boy sounds like he's doing just fine here. It would be shocking to rip him away from his home."

"We never found his body, Terra!" Aqua grew passionate. "Please let me hope!"

Terra sighed, but said nothing.

"Maybe," began Kairi, "whoever he is, he could give us a hint to finding the heart of the world?"

The group looked to Terra, watching him consider.

"Alright. If we can befriend this guy, we'll see if he'll help us. Just...be careful out there guys."


	3. In Which a Fairytale Comes True

That night, Kairi laid awake, thinking. She couldn't get the strange boy out of her head. If he really was Sora, what were they going to do? Take him back with them?

But ten years alone in the jungle would change a person. Did he even know how to speak? Could he still summon his keyblade?

Would they just have to leave him behind? That didn't seem fair. Even if he wasn't Sora, being all alone in the Jungle just didn't seem right.

When he looked at her, his expression held a lot of emotion. Fear, curiosity, and lot of wonder. How frightening it must have been to see another creature like him, and yet so different.

From her sleeping bag, she looked over at her teammates. Everyone was asleep and all was calm. The fire was still going, though only bright enough to cast a soft light on the immediate area. Crickets and strange animals hooted outside the treehouse, where the moon shone blue light through the windows.

Kairi loved nights like this. It was so different from her days in Radiant Garden, where even the nights had noise of the city, of clanking and whirling machines. In the Land of Departure, the nights were nearly silent from her window high in the castle. This though, this was just perfect. She had been to so many worlds in the last year, traveling with her teammates. Nights like these, where the darkness retreated at the light of the moon, and life persisted.

It was relaxing and comforting. Though the Jungle held many mysteries and dangers, this was a haven.

Suddenly, she heard the sound of feet hitting the floor, though very gently. She glanced to the other end of the treehouse and saw a silhouetted figure, crouched and crawling towards them.

Kairi didn't move, though she prepared in case he meant harm. Eraqus once said she had a problem with naïveté, and that she often trusted people too quickly. Still, she felt like this stranger meant no harm, for if he was the same boy she had seen earlier, he easily could have left her to die out on the field.

The boy slowly tracked through their camp, his steps imperceivable over the sound of the crackling fire and Terra's snores. He curiously dug into the first pack he found, which belonged to Ventus. He pulled out a shirt, feeling the fabric and turning it over to examine it. When it failed to interest him, he shoved it back into the bag.

Then he slowly and hesitantly leaned over Ventus himself, studying his face. Then he moved onto the next person.

He peaked in everyone's luggage, pulling out interesting items to sniff or taste. Though he didn't actually take anything. Then he sniffed each of her teammates, touching their hair and any armor that was nearby.

It felt like she had been watching him for an hour before he finally made his way over to her. She closed her eyes, pretending to sleep.

She heard him shuffling through her clothes, then heard him sniffling near her ear. She stayed extremely still, keeping her breathing even, as his face drew closer to hers.

It seemed his evaluation of her would be different from the others, since she felt the softest skin against her lips.

Her eyes fluttered open in shock.

Those blue blue eyes stared right back at her, with all the wonder in the world.

She didn't scream this time, just stared back at him.

Had he just...kissed her?

His eyes widened slightly as a smile took over his lips. He seemed thrilled that he had awakened her.

Carefully, since he was only inches away from her face, Kairi sat up. He remained close, but followed her movements.

He flicked his eyes over her body briefly, now that she was in pajamas, but continually met her eyes. Likewise, Kairi looked over him, now that he was close and not about to leave.

He had a large leaf on his arm, held in place by mud. It looked like a primitive bandaid. She frowned, and threw off her blankets.

The boy didn't like the action, and whimpered, thinking she was leaving.

Instead she stood and quietly walked over to their first aid kit. She opted for a potion, so as not to startle him by summoning her keyblade. Then she took her canteen and a rag.

All the while, he watched, curious as to what she could be doing.

Finally, she smiled at him and beckoned him to follow her outside.

He did so eagerly, ever interested in her world.

Outside the treehouse, on the balcony, Kairi knelt and wetted the rag with the canteen.

The stranger was quick to crouch in front of her, immediately in her personal space.

She reached out, her hand hovering over his arm.

He tilted his head, looking at her expression, and then where her hand was. Then he leaned that arm towards her.

Carefully, Kairi peeled off the leaf and began to wipe off the mud. A potion would heal up the wound just fine, but it would have to be clean first.

The boy hissed suddenly and ripped his arm away.

She dropped the rag and held out her hands in a calming way.

Seeing she meant no harm, he slowly reached his arm back out, letting her finish.

Once clean, she offered him the potion.

Instead of taking it, however, he reached his hand out and touched her face ever so gently, then leaned in, unaware of how uncomfortable he was making her.

She couldn't help but laugh a little, mostly out of nervousness. "Haven't you looked at me enough already?"

His eyes widened at the sound of her voice, and he gave a silent laugh, like a dog panting, and danced on his toes.

Again, she offered the potion.

He sniffed it, and then gave it a withering glance.

"You drink it," She pantomimed drinking, and encouraged him to do the same.

So he did, but screwed his face up after at the bitter taste. But then he blinked, feeling the pain in his arm gone. Glancing down, his wound was completely healed, and there wasn't even a scar. He did his little dance again.

"See? All better!"

He showed his appreciation by swooping in and nuzzling his nose with hers.

She crinkled up her face in response, not expecting the action.

Then he backed off a few inches, his eyes bright, and pleasant grunts coming from his throat.

"Uh, you're welcome?" Kairi laughed.

He tilted his head to the side. "Wel...come?"

"You can speak!" She clapped her hands in joy.

He mimicked the action. "Speak!"

"Ah, but not very well, I guess." Still, she touched her chest, right above her heart. "My name is Kairi."

He glanced at her hand, then her face, and mimicked the action, hand on his chest "Kai...ri?"

"Close." She took his hand and placed it on her chest, "Kairi."

Realization hit him. "Kairi!" He patted her heart. "Kairi!"

"Good! Now..." she placed her hand on his chest, right over the 'X' scar. "What's your name?"

He looked at her hand, frowned, and without another word, leapt over the railing and into the darkness of night.

Kairi was left alone, only able to wonder. She touched the tip of her nose, then her lips, and blushed.

—

The next morning, over breakfast, the group talked over their plan for the day. They decided they would split up again, same groups, and travel East and West this time.

Kairi was barely paying attention. After the boy left, she finally was able to fall asleep, even though he had only given her more questions than answers.

"Kai?" Riku asked, noticing how quiet she had been.

"What world's did Sora like?" She said suddenly.

Terra and Aqua stopped eating and pondered the question.

"Why do you ask?"

"I just...wondered. Maybe there's a way to find out if it's really him by bringing back some old memories."

Aqua considered, "Gosh, I don't know if there was a world he didn't like! He was so friendly to everyone...almost to a fault."

"You know the most important rule of keyblade wielders?" Terra asked.

"We mustn't meddle in the affairs of other worlds." Quoted Ventus, like a good noodle.

"Well, he loved to meddle. He always found a way to get in people's business. Usually, we helped solve problems, but mostly Sora just stuck his nose where it didn't belong."

Aqua pondered, "But a favorite world, specifically? Well, he liked The Caribbean. He loved being a pirate and the big ships."

"He also liked Neverland and flying."

"And oh! He liked Halloweentown!"

"For Santa?" Asked Riku, like it was the obvious thing in the world.

"Of course for Santa."

"Aqua, do you remember what world he talked about for weeks after we came back?"

"Um...gosh, we went to a lot of worlds back then. Which one ware you thinking of?"

"Enchanted Dominion."

"Oh yeah!"

The other three just looked in question. "Where?"

Aqua sighed sadly. "It's one of the early worlds that fell into darkness. Princess Aurora and Maleficent's world."

Riku groaned loudly.

"What's crawled up your butt, Riku?" Asked Terra at the reaction.

"I hate that bitch so much." He shook his head. "Sorry for the language but…she's just the worst."

"I thought Princess Aurora was nice." Said Ventus, innocently. Since her world had fallen into the darkness, she had been living in Radiant Garden, along with two other Princesses, Snow White and Cinderella.

"Not Aurora! Maleficent! Geez…"

"She was the one who made you succumb to the darkness, isn't she?" Kairi asked.

He rolled his eyes, "yeah. Anyways, that's in the past now. What did you guys do in Enchanted Dominion?"

"You guys know about Aurora's curse, right?"

"Let's say I don't…" Ventus cringed.

"When she was an infant, Maleficent cursed her to die at the age of sixteen, after she would prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel. Only because of the good fairies did the curse change from death to sleep. And with true loves kiss, the spell would be broken."

"Well, it must not have come true then, given we saw Aurora a few weeks ago."

"Oh, it did come true. When we arrived in the world, the curse had already come to fruition. Aurora was asleep in the tallest tower, and the fairies had put the whole kingdom to sleep as well, so no one would worry."

"That had to be weird to walk into," Said Riku.

"Extremely." Deadpanned Terra.

"We wandered around for awhile until we found the tower that Aurora was sleeping in...well, Sora found it. He tried waking her up by tapping her shoulder and going, 'excuse me ma'am.' Then the good fairies found us and explained the curse, and that Aurora's true love, Prince Phillip, was being held prisoner in Maleficent's Castle."

Terra laughed, "when Fauna explained that Aurora needed a kiss to wake up, Sora said 'well, I'll kiss her!' He just didn't understand why it had to be this one guy specifically. It was hard to explain without using the analogy of a key to a lock…considering he's been able to unlock any door he's wanted with the same key his whole life."

"So what did you do?"

"Well, the fairies asked us for our help, since they didn't want to worry the kingdom, and they led us to the Forbidden Mountain. Sora at least stayed behind at the gate, but he insisted on being part of the adventure. So Terra and I snuck into the fortress and freed Prince Phillip, but we had to fight our way out. And just as we were about to reach King Stefan's Castle, Maleficent appeared."

"And she was pissed."

"I know how that is..." Riku said under his breath.

"The fairies had given Phillip a sword and shield, so he wasn't completely defenseless...but it wasn't much help. She turned into this huge dragon!"

"Oh wow, she can do that?" Ventus asked, horrified.

"She's a witch with the powers of darkness. There's no telling what all she can do."

"So you fought her as a dragon?"

"Yeah, and she put up one hell of a fight. And Sora fought valiantly, well, for a...I think he was five at the time?"

"You let him fight?!" Kairi shouted, aghast.

"We always did. How else was he supposed to learn?"

"I don't know! Somehow less dangerously!?"

"So, what happened?" Asked Riku. "Maleficent is still prowling around, but Aurora is awake. Homeless, but awake."

"Well, Phillip dealt the finishing blow." Aqua said.

Terra quoted, "'Sword of Truth, fly swift and sure. Let evil die, and good endure!' At least that's what the spell was supposed to do."

"But we were all surprised to hear she was back. She's like a weed that won't stop growing. We led Phillip up the tower to Aurora, and he kissed her. She woke up, and so did the rest of the kingdom. And they all lived happily ever after…until the darkness came."

Kairi hugged her legs to her chest, totally invested in the story of young Sora. "So, when you guys came back, he talked about it a lot?"

"Mostly the dragon," Terra explained. "In our downtime, we would play this game…" He trailed off, and then sighed, remembering.

Aqua laughed. "Oh my god! I remember! We would play this game where…" she caught her breath, "where one of us was the 'dragon', one was the 'Prince' and then the other was the 'Princess'. It was basically reenacting what had happened in Enchanted Dominion."

"Honestly, I loved being the Princess," Terra said, unabashed. "I actually just slept."

"The catch was that the 'Prince' had to wake up the 'Princess' with a kiss. Usually on the cheek or forehead."

Terra sighed, "yeah, but there was one time where Sora was the 'Dragon' and I was the 'Prince' and he insisted I kiss Aqua on the lips."

"Did you?"

The treehouse was quiet as he said quietly. "…yeah."

Riku and Ventus laughed loudly at his blushing face.

"I know it must hurt," Kairi said, once things calmed down. "Talking about him again, but it's really nice to hear about him."

Aqua smiled, forlorn. "Yeah…full disclosure, if this wild stranger ends up being him, I _am_ going to cry."

"I had forgotten a lot of this until we started talking about it." Terra admitted. "It was just…easier not to think about it. I still remember him declaring, quite proudly, that one day he was going to find a Princess like Aurora, one that would wake up with his kiss. I told him it was inappropriate to kiss girls while they were sleeping and he retorted," he made his voice high pitched and whiny, "but all the other Princes are doing it!"

Something about that statement made Kairi's heart ache.

"That was over ten years ago, but it doesn't feel like it." Aqua said, raising to her feet. "Well, we have a jungle to search, and two things to find now."


	4. In Which They Meet Tarzan and Jane

This story went from "wow, this is a fun little idea."

To, "wait, so Terra would never have been Norted?"

Then, "Organization XIII never existed!"

Then finally, "I JUST REWROTE KINGDOM HEARTS."

This story is going to longer than planned, and I now regret taking those 10 hour shifts.

—

They had been in Deep Jungle for days now. Nothing to see but plants and heartless. Even the gorillas had disappeared from the first time they saw them. They were no closer to finding the keyhole than they were on the first day when they hadn't even started looking.

The sightings of the wild boy continued, though no one was ever able to get a clear look at him.

One morning, while breakfast was being prepared, everyone sat around in various degrees of wakefulness. Then, without warning, a wicker basket filled with fruit fell from the ceiling and landed next to Kairi with a 'wham!'

Everyone jumped at the gift, startled, before Ventus called out, "thank you sentient tree house!"

Then, three days into the voyage, with no end in sight, they finally made some headway.

It came mid afternoon, on a day that was hot and humid, as most days were in the jungle. The bugs were out, and everyone was cranky from sleeping on the floor for so many nights.

Riku was heading the pack, his job was keeping everyone going in the same direction, north by northwest. All the while, Kairi brought up the rear, her eyes wandering the canopy, just as she had on the first day.

"Look!" She cried, seeing something through the trees. "A treehouse!"

"Ugh, we're back at camp? We walked all the way around the world?" Asked Ventus with a groan.

Kairi was already pushing plants aside to make her way over. "No! It's a different treehouse!"

And indeed it was. Smaller than the first one, but newer. A second even smaller treehouse sat in the adjacent tree, connected with a bridge. There was a rope ladder hanging down, and smoke coming from a little chimney.

"Hello!" Called Kairi. "Is someone there?"

Terra and the rest caught up with her. "Wait! What if they're dangerous?"

Riku interjected. "This is the first lead we've had! We should take it!"

A brunette woman poked her head out the window of the treehouse. "My goodness! I'm not hearing things!" She called, with an English accent. "There's people! I'll be down in just a moment!"

"She looks nice," Ventus commented.

The woman descended using a vine, sliding down and landing right in front of them. "Hello! My, it has been some time since I've seen other people! You must be from another world! Are you here to study the gorillas?" Then she grew less friendly, "or are you here to hurt them? Because if you are, I'll—I'll...well, I'm not sure what I'll do, but I can assure you it won't be pleasant!"

Ventus whispered to Riku. "I like her."

"We're not here to hurt the gorillas," Terra said, raising his hands peacefully. "In fact, we're here to help them, in a way, Miss uh..."

"Oh, where are my manners? My name is Jane, Jane Porter. It's a pleasure." She held her hand out.

He shook it. "I'm Terra, these are my friends, Aqua, Ventus, Riku, and Kairi."

"So, what does bring you folks to our Jungle?"

"Well," Terra explained, hesitating. "We're looking for a keyhole."

"And a wild man!" Ventus added.

"Preferably both," said Aqua.

Jane smiled, "well, I know of no keyhole, but the wild man you're looking for is probably my husband. He should be along here sometime. Won't you all come up and have some tea?"

Kairi's heart sank into her shoes. That boy had been someone's husband? And he had kissed her? Oh this was not good.

"Tea sounds lovely, thank you." Aqua agreed.

Jane led the way up to the treehouse, gesturing them inside. "Come in! Come in! Make yourselves at home. I know it must be exhausting hiking through the jungle. Sit wherever you'd like."

Immediately Ventus and Riku plopped down on a couch that, despite its Victorian appearance, was quite comfortable.

Jane set on the kettle and then called out to the neighboring treehouse, "Daddy! Daddy wake up, we have company!" Then she looked at her guests. "My apologies, it's been so long since we had visitors that spoke English! You see, we're researchers. About three years ago, Daddy and I came here from a neighboring world called London to study the gorillas."

"Oh!" Cried Ventus. "We've been to London!"

Riku nudged him, "hush."

"You have?" Said Jane happily. "Sometimes I really miss those streets, but other times I remember all the smoke and noise, and I'm glad I stayed here."

"Why _did _you stay?" Asked Terra politely. "Your husband?"

"Yes, precisely. Daddy and I came here with another man, Clayton, on a grant to stay for about a month. Nearly the first day we arrived, I met him. He saved me from an angry fleet of baboons. A flying man in a loin cloth…"

"What's his name?" Asked Riku.

"Oh, it's...it's a little odd, it's Tarzan."

The group collectively deflated, now knowing that the wild man was not who they wanted him to be.

"He didn't speak any English," Jane continued. "So, we taught him. We taught him reading and writing, math and science, about all the other worlds and galaxies out there. When the ship came to take us back, we tried to get Tarzan to come along with us...but our guide Clayton betrayed us, caged all the gorillas, and killed the alpha."

The group stayed quiet, letting her speak, since it seemed so long since she had had any company. "Tarzan and Clayton fought, and in the end, Tarzan won. But the alpha, in his dying moments, chose Tarzan to be the next leader of the pack. So he couldn't return with us." A small smile came to her face. "So I decided to stay too, and so did daddy."

At that moment, a small old man came in the door, "I say, we do have company! A mighty gay crew of young adventurers at that! How wonderful! Archimedes Q. Porter, at your service! Jane, you've got the kettle on?"

"Of course, Daddy. They're here in search of a keyhole, and they were looking for Tarzan!"

"A keyhole? In the jungle? You might as well be looking for a needle in a haystack!"

Jane took pause. "Come to think of it, for what reason are you looking for Tarzan?"

Aqua answered. "Well, at first we wondered if he was someone we once knew. But, we also wondered if he would have any hints to finding the keyhole..."

"And what does this keyhole lock, or unlock, as the case may be?"

"Well..." Terra and Aqua shared a look, trying to decide what was appropriate to say.

Riku took the decision away from them. "Have you seen the strange creatures that look like monkeys, but definitely aren't?"

"Oh! You mean those blue menaces?! Of course! They're the reason we had to leave the old treehouse!" The professor exclaimed.

"You mean the two-story one? A bit south of here?"

"That's the one!"

"That's where we set up camp! The heartless were a big problem there?"

"Is that what they're called?" Asked Jane. "And why yes, but...they've been a problem everywhere in the Jungle. Tarzan is nearly at his wits end trying to kill them all! But they just keep coming back! They breed like rabbits!"

"They don't actually breed…" Terra began. "The heartless are born of the darkness in people's hearts. They've been getting worse everywhere. The locking the keyhole will stop them from swallowing this world completely, and get them to stop re-spawning."

Jane sighed in relief. "If that's the case, I'm sure Tarzan will do what he can to help you."

Then, the kettle screamed, and Jane began to serve the tea. "You know, you say those heartless are made from the darkness in people's hearts. It makes quite a bit of sense then, really, since they came around the same time we did. Clayton, the man I spoke of before, was terribly evil. We hired him to keep us safe in the jungle, but he ended up being the biggest threat." She put the tea on the tray and brought over for everyone to take a cup. "I still feel awful about it. This world would have been so much better off if we hadn't come."

"Would Tarzan?" Asked Aqua.

And just like that, a figure dropped into the room with a 'whomp', poised on the balls of his feet.

Jane collected herself quickly. "There you are, darling! We have guests!"

The man was already halfway across the room, giving each of the wielders a studious look. "Guests…"

"They said they've been looking for you."

"For me?" He took a special interest in Terra, Aqua, and Ven. "Been to see my mother. Said she and others were rescued from the not-chimps by people. One that looked like me," he pointed at Terra, "one with hair like water," he pointed at Aqua, "and one with hair like bananas." He pointed at Ventus.

"Hey!"

"Oh yes!" Said Aqua, "we saved some gorillas from the heartless. Are they your family?"

"Yes, my family. Thank you."

Ven grinned. "No sweat, it's our job."

"Kairi, is this the man you saw?" Riku spoke up.

It was almost with relief that she said, "no, he's not."

"Not Tarzan? My, then I feel sorry for wasting your time while I just rambled…hold on, you mean to say you saw _another_ wild man out in the Jungle?"

"Yes, a few days ago."

"Other," said Tarzan. "One other."

"Other? Oh!" Jane gasped. "Goodness gracious, I had completely forgotten about him! There _is_ another wild man out there, but I only saw him once…and he was not very friendly. He almost got violent actually, Tarzan had to wrestle him away."

"Not like Tarzan," Tarzan said, "not part of pack. Comes and goes."

No one got their hopes up. That didn't sound like Sora at all.

Still, Riku asked, "does he have a name?"

After a moment, Tarzan answered:

"Sora."

Aqua's teacup shattered on the floor, as she stared at the man in horror. "I...I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."

"Oh, it's alright," Jane pacified. "Not much use for china in the Jungle, right? Are...are you alright?"

Aqua rubbed the heel of her hand into her eye. "I...I'm fine..." though as she said it, more tears came until she was weeping openly.

Terra quickly rushed over, and embraced her, where she buried her head in his shoulder to cry.

"Said something wrong?" Asked Tarzan.

"No," said Terra, his voice choked up. "You said the right thing."

"You're...his family, aren't you?" Jane surmised.

"Yeah...we...we came here about ten years ago, for a training exercise. He was only six then, and we left him and Ven at camp. When we returned, the camp was destroyed, Ven was unconscious and bloody, and Sora was nowhere to be found."

"We searched for days!" Aqua sobbed. "But all we found was his bloody clothes. We didn't think he could have—we thought he was dead! But all this time, he's been here. Alone..."

"There there, don't blame yourself." Jane consoled, getting her a fresh cup of tea. "Given the evidence you found, it was a very natural conclusion you arrived at. You searched for days. And...he's alive. You'll be reunited!"

"But, I can't help but be afraid, what if he thinks we abandoned him here?"

"If you explain it, he'll understand."

Terra asked Tarzan, "what can you tell us about him?"

The man scratched his head, trying to recall old memories. "Found him when he was small. Hurt. Scratched. Naked. Brought him home to family, for help. Kerchak didn't want him to stay. Said he was marked as prey, being hunted. Mom begged him to stay until he was healed. Kerchak agreed. Thought he would die, but didn't. He healed, and stayed with us for a while, and then left. Found him later, hurt again, brought him back again. Over and over, same thing. Kerchak was right, marked as prey, but predator doesn't kill. Still hunting him."

That was troubling. "He's being hunted? By what?" Asked Aqua.

"Strange creature. Black, blue, and red."

"That sounds like a heartless," said Riku with mounting concern.

Tarzan further explained, "when first met Sora, he made weird sounds. I now know it was English. Then each time we found him, made less of those noises, more animal noises. More animal behavior. Now, he is like something different. Not like Jane, not like Tarzan's family. Not like Tarzan."

"What kind of animal is he acting like?"

"One I have never seen before."

Kairi still didn't mention her other encounter with him at the treehouse, but she thought about it. He had parroted what she had said, and if this truly was Sora, shouldn't he be able to recall at least a little bit? Had he lost himself that much?

Everyone else was considering Tarzan's news of a heartless hunting Sora. What sort of Heartless plays with its victim for over ten years? It sounded like the intentional work of Maleficent.

Jane broke the silence, "Tarzan, have you ever heard of a keyhole? Our friends are looking for one."

He thought a moment. "I know of lots of holes. Explain more?"

Jane went over to her dresser, grabbed her jewelry box, and brought it over for him to see. "This little hole right here is a keyhole, if I put the key in it, it unlocks the box, and I can open the lid. In London, all the houses have keyholes on them so you can get inside."

"And there's one in the Jungle?" He asked the guests.

"There should be. We just…have no idea where to start," Said Aqua. "Is there somewhere or something significant in the jungle? Something important?"

"There's the waterfalls," Jane mused. "It's the main freshwater source, at the heart of the Jungle."

"**The heart of the Jungle!**" The five exclaimed.

"We have to go to the waterfalls! Can you take us there, Tarzan?"

The man wandered over to the door, looking outside, thinking.

"He's a very quiet man." Jane whispered to her guests. "He's basically the king of the Jungle, so he must consider the animal's safety."

He came back and declared, "not yet, but I will come for you soon. Where is your camp?"

"At the old treehouse, to the South."

He nodded in understanding. "I will try to find Sora, tell him his family looks for him. Thank you for helping us."

—

Later that night, Aqua boarded the gummi ship, as she had every night of their trip, and called Master Eraqus.

"It's late, Aqua. Busy day?"

"Yes, Master. We finally found a lead. There were some researchers from another world here to study the gorillas, and the woman married a man raised by the apes."

"A man raised by the apes? He was there last time too?"

"I guess? He looked about Riku's age. They said the waterfalls are at the 'heart' of the world, and once the timing is right, he's going to take us there."

"The timing?"

"Yes…I'm not exactly sure what that means, but Tarzan has to protect the other animals, he's like their king. So we have to abide by his rules."

"Thus preserving the order of things, of course. Well, I hope it doesn't take too long, for everyone's sake. How are the rest? Is everyone alright?"

Aqua didn't answer immediately, her glance away from the screen. "Master, we…I think we found him."

"…you don't mean…?"

"Kairi said she saw a wild man in the Jungle, who saved her from the heartless. When we met the researchers, they confirmed there was wild man, another besides the one we met today. They said his name is Sora."

"Oh god…"

"Master, what are we going to do? We can't just leave him here!"

"I know, I know…but we mustn't be hasty. We need to treat him with care, find out what he would like to do. We can't force him to do anything."

"One other thing…Tarzan said he was marked as prey. Said he was being hunted by a strange black creature."

Eraqus frowned hard. "That's not good. The boy's heart is strong, and doubtless a very powerful heartless has its eyes on him. No matter what Sora decides in the end, you will need to stop that heartless. We owe that much to him at least."

Aqua nodded in agreement. "Yes master."

"And Aqua?"

"…yes?"

"It'll all work out in the end."


	5. In Which Kairi is Kidnapped

If you aren't reading this story on Ao3 or Tumblr, you're missing out on the illustrations!

—

As they had every day, the group woke up in the morning and descended from the treehouse, creating their plan for the day.

"Alright," began Terra. "Since we have to wait for Tarzan before we can go to the waterfall, our next step is looking for Sora, I guess. Ven and I will try over by the lagoon, Riku and Kairi try to treetops, and Aqua will stay behind at camp in case Tarzan comes for us."

"Why does Aqua get to stay behind?" Asked Riku, sensibly.

"Because Ventus is still in his exam, and you would just sleep the whole time."

"Fair."

"Everyone got a radio?"

They all held up their appropriate walkie-talkies.

"Good, then let's—"

"EEP!"

One minute, Kairi was there, and the next she was gone, with only a yelp to signify her disappearance.

"Kairi?!" Riku cried out.

"What the hell was that?!" Terra shouted, after seeing a blur sweep her off her feet.

The radios blared to life. "I found him! Er—he found me! I'll try to—" static.

"That's horrifying." Said Ven.

"Okay, new plan," declared Terra. "Ven and I will check the lagoon, Riku will check the treetops, and Aqua stays here."

"That's the same exact plan as before, but without Kairi."

"Ah but this time, we're looking for Sora _and_ her."

Riku scoffed and began walking off on his own.

"Remember! If you see a strange heartless, call for backup!"

"Aye aye, Captain." He waved back.

—

Kairi had been listening, like the good student that she was. She knew she'd be paired up with Riku again, since that's just the way it always was.

Had she been standing a foot closer to anyone else, it may not have happened, but one second she was looking at Terra, and then she was up in the trees. An arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her tightly to a bare chest as her feet left the ground and her stomach dropped into her shoes. She didn't even scream, just let out a yelp. It's like she had left her voice behind.

When she gathered herself, she raised the radio.

"I found him! Er—he found me! I'll try to get him to bring me back to camp!"

The arm around her tightened and she felt her weight shift down. Instinctively, she hugged him around the neck and then hooked her legs with his.

Looking down, she saw that he had taken her high up to the treetops, a dizzying height from the ground. She clenched her eyes shut.

Finally, they stopped, but he did not loosen the hold on her.

She finally opened her eyes, seeing that they had come to rest on a huge branch. She pulled back slightly to look at him, and likewise, he looked at her.

His eyes were blue. She had seen them before in the moonlight, but now, she could see them properly. Large, brilliant, and so so blue. His glance was tender, yet piercing, and froze her to the spot.

"Hello again..." she found was all she could say.

He didn't respond with words, only the toothy grin that fit so well on his charming face. He leaned in, his nose touching hers in greeting.

She smiled back, shyly and unwound herself from him, only then did he finally let her go. "You know, it's not polite to pick up a girl without her permission." She scolded.

He frowned, but then became happy again when he realized she wasn't mad at him.

"I really need to go back. The other's will worry about me."

He frowned again, his brows furrowing. "Danger."

"Danger? Then I really need to go! They need my help!"

He grunted and stomped his foot. "Danger!"

"I know! I understand! But we need to help them! Please!"

He grabbed her arm, and shook, not enough to hurt, but just enough to get his point across.

Being a princess, Kairi was used to being benched and 'staying safe'. But ever since she became a Keyblade wielder, she was determined to save herself. And she emphasized this by summoning her keyblade. "I can protect myself."

He stared at it in shock.

"It's a keyblade," She explained. "You have one too, don't you?"

He hesitated, but held out his hand, his blade synthesizing.

Now, Kairi had only been studying under Eraqus for about a year, and there were plenty of things she didn't know about keyblades. But there were a few key things she had learned early on.

She knew all keyblades, save for one, were made in the realm of light. The one exception was the king's blade, the Kingdom Key. Rather simple in design, a blade of gold with a silver hilt, with a relief of a crown at the end, it was the only keyblade of the realm of darkness. It was fabled to have a partner, the Kingdom Key of light. Though Eraqus was never able to answer when asked where it was.

As she looked at the keyblade in his hand, several thoughts passed through her head. But the most prominent, was that something was wrong. It almost looked like the King's key, except for a silver blade and a gold hilt. But it looked sick, she surmised. Like the keyblade itself was ill, and even dying. Long, fleshy tendrils of darkness wrapped around the blade, and ended in what looked like claws. The hilt was broken and jagged, and parts even looked dissolved. The crown was struck out with an X.

Kairi touched the blade, fearful to find it colder than any keyblade she had ever touched.

"You...really are Sora, aren't you?"

His eyes widened. "Know Sora?"

"Well, I know of you, Terra and Aqua told me about you."

He gruffly shuffled away from her, "Danger."

"Wait...are you saying that Terra and Aqua..._are_ the Danger?"

"Mmm." He hummed in confirmation.

"Oh Sora...they love you and miss you! Come on, let's go back."

He grunted, and if to solidify his decision, he parked it on the branch. He was acting just like a child.

It was almost adorable.

Kairi found the radio again, and called to her team. "I'm still okay, but our friend is being a little more stubborn than expected, so I don't know when I'll be back."

Nothing came from the other line. She glanced at the radio, only to see no lights on it.

Dead.

"Great...They gave me the bad one." She sighed. "Well, I guess I'm stuck with you." She plopped down on the branch next to him.

He seemed to be in a better mood now that she had resigned, and scooted over closer to her, straddling the tree branch.

She was startled, but only for a moment, since she was being to get used to him invading her space.

He rested his hand on her heart. "Kairi," then he mimicked the action in himself. "Sora."

"Very good!" She praised with a little clap.

Encouraged by her praise, he leaned forward and pressed his ear to her chest.

"Are you...listening to my heart beat?"

"…heart…" He said, his voice soft and reverent. Then he sat up and gestured for her to do the same to him.

She couldn't help but laugh. "Alright, you got me." She braced herself on his chest and leaned in to listen.

His heartbeat was strong and steady. Much more calm than she was feeling at the moment.

Despite the condition of his keyblade, listening to his heart was soothing, and warm.

Finally, she pulled away from him. "Very nice," she said awkwardly.

He smiled widely.

Then, without warning, he grabbed her around the waist again and leapt from the branch. This time, she had a second to latch on before she could slip.

"Look!" He demanded, as he moved through the trees.

She didn't really want to, afraid of how high they were, but she peeled her eyes open.

They were so high up! If he missed a vine, they would be toast.

But this didn't seem to bother Sora at all. He laughed and hooted as he swung, calling greeting to other animals as they travelled.

Then, she noticed something out of place among the trees.

She pointed, "That's Riku! Let's go say hi!"

If Sora was untrusting to Terra, Aqua, and Ventus, then perhaps he'd be more welcoming to Riku. He perched them on a branch a few feet above him.

"Riku?" Sora asked.

"Yeah, he's my friend. Our friend."

"Friend?"

"Yes, Sora friend, Kairi friend, Riku friend!"

"Oh friend!" Sora sang, seemingly understanding.

It seemed that Riku hadn't noticed them, as he almost fell off the branch he was resting on when they landed next to him.

"Riku!" Kairi sang.

"Oh Kairi!" He breathed in relief. "I'm so glad I found you...or you found me, I guess."

Sora sat between them, glancing back and forth as they talked.

"Riku, this is Sora." She introduced, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Nice to finally meet you, we've been looking everywhere for you." He held his hand out.

Sora grabbed his wrist, yanking the hand closer to him to study it. When he deemed there was nothing in it, he frowned at Riku.

"You shake it," he explained, grabbing his hand. "Like this," he moved it up and down.

Sora watched the gesture, and then enthusiastically shook his hand, damn near dislocating Riku's shoulder. "Okay okay! Not that hard!"

Sora let go with satisfied giggle. "Like Riku! Like Sora?"

"Yeah, I like you Sora." Riku confirmed.

"Like Kairi! Like Sora?"

"Yes, I like you too, Sora." She smiled at him.

"Sora key, Kairi key, Riku key?"

"Key_blade_," he corrected, summoning the Road to Dawn.

Sora smiled toothily. "Sora key...keyblade!" And he showed his.

Riku stared at it in shock. "That's..." he looked at Kairi, "Do you know what keyblade this is...or was?"

"It looks like King Mickey's keyblade. The one from the realm of darkness."

"This is its partner, I'm sure of it. But..."

Both of them looked at Sora, who just curiously looked back, not knowing what they were talking about.

"Something's wrong with his heart." Riku deliberated. "I think that's what's causing this." He touched the black coiling bits, shivering in response. "They're made of darkness alright."

This worried Kairi even more. Riku had told her about his fall into darkness, and what it had done to his heart. There was no telling what this meant for poor Sora, who probably didn't even realize the danger he was in.

"We should catch up with the others," said Riku. "They're probably worried sick."

"I don't blame them. But...there's a small problem. He's not really...keen on them."

"On who? Terra and Aqua?"

Sora hissed loudly at the mention of their names, confirming Kairi's statement.

"Hey hey," She soothed. "It's okay."

Riku scratched the back of his neck. "Well, it makes sense. If he thinks they left him here on purpose or forgot about him. I'd be pretty salty too."

"So what do we do?"

"Well, he likes you. Why don't you just...don't know, hang out with him? Know his world."

"Me?"

"Sure. He damn near kidnapped you to see you again. Though I don't really like the idea of you gallivanting around the Jungle with a strange boy…"

Kairi couldn't help but giggle, "what are you? My dad?"

Sora decidedly had enough of them talking and took Kairi's hand and tugged.

"Okay, we can go. I'll meet up with you when I can."

Riku nodded once, and gestured them on.

Kairi placed her arms around Sora's neck.

He excitedly hugged her back and then jumped off the tree.

Riku watched them disappear, and then said to himself, "Aqua's going to murder me."

—

Back at the Land of Departure, Eraqus was setting up for a guest. It had grown lonely in the castle these last few days, since he was so accustomed to having the kids around, at least one at a time.

"My, I haven't seen the castle this empty in ages," spoke the visitor.

Eraqus smiled at him. "At least 15 years, my how time flies."

"What brought you to call on me, if not to bear witness to your new master?"

"Is loneliness not a a worthy enough excuse?"

"What some call loneliness, others would call peace and quiet."

"You always did prefer silence, didn't you Xehanort?"

The older man chuckled, taking a seat at their chess table. "It helps me think." He made the first move and the game began. "It's been a while since we've had a game, hasn't it?"

"Yes, If you forgive me, I never thought it was appropriate to call on you while the darkness was such a threat."

Xehanort raised an eyebrow. "And it's not anymore?"

"Almost. As we speak, my students are sealing one last world. The darkness will have no foothold after that."

"I see. Though the darkness won't be able to swallow any more worlds, the heartless will not retreat, you know."

"I know...but in due time, they will fade."

"If that's what you believe, who am I to contradict you?" He moved his knight to block a pawn. "What is this last world to be sealed?"

Eraqus sighed. "Well, it's Deep Jungle."

If Eraqus noticed how Xehanort's eye twitched, he didn't say anything about it.

"Deep Jungle? I'm surprised you would send them there after what happened. If it were me, I would let that world go. There is nothing there."

"You sound like Terra," Eraqus smiled slightly. "He wanted to let it go. But a world's worth is not up to us to decide. Especially if it can be saved."

"Are they fairing well?"

"Fairly." He used his bishop to take out Xehanort's Knight. "They met some people there, researchers to study the gorillas. And they have an idea where the keyhole is. And..." he hesitated, swallowing hard.

"Eraqus?"

"They found him. They found Sora."

"Alive?"

He nodded. "He's been alive all this time. He's...been surviving in the forest. He's feral now, though I don't doubt it."

Xehanort frowned. "Eraqus, I know the knowledge of his survival comes as a joy, but I must advise you against bringing him back here."

"What? Why?"

"I told you before, when you first took him in as a student. That boy has incredible darkness in his heart, and he is dangerous. If indeed he's been all alone all this time, there's no telling how human he is anymore. Can he still tell the difference between right and wrong? Can use critical thinking?"

"Well, what are we supposed to do? He's not just a human, he's a keyblade wielder. We need him."

"Do as you please. But I have given you my advice."

All this talking had distracted Eraqus and put his Queen in jeopardy, and Xehanort was quick to take her with his bishop. "Check, old friend."

Eraqus frowned, moving his king. "I'm going to prove you wrong. Sora is important to us. He's coming home."


	6. In Which Sora and Kairi Have Dinner

There's evidence to suggest that Ansem the Wise and Kairi are NOT related, but for the sake of this fic, it makes more sense if they are.

—

Sora was great fun.

Though his English wasn't great, he used what words he knew and great facial expressions to convey what he wanted to say.

For instance, he snagged a prickly fruit and held it up next to his face and said, "it's me!" Then he turned it upside down and said, "Riku!"

He took her on a tour of the jungle, all either by swinging on vines, or sliding down twisting tree roots. He was always careful with her, making sure she was safe from bumping or falling, easily putting himself between her and whatever brush came up on the path.

They travelled to the lagoon and waved at the hippos. Then to a grove of fruit trees to have lunch.

It was very liberating. She had yet to see any heartless while she was with him, but she knew they were in the jungle, waiting. Perhaps he knew where they spawned and purposely stayed away from those places.

Ever since she became a wielder, even the fun days still felt like there was a underlining duty to them. The exploration of the worlds always had a looming threat of darkness about them. But in this moment, with Sora, she just felt free.

All in all, Kairi hadn't laughed this hard in a long time.

At sunset, he took her to a large tree, that grew up passed the canopy, and brought her to the heart of it, where the trunk ended and the branches began. It looked like a basin, how the middle of the tree dipped down. But there was no standing water, as the leaves up above were too thick for the rain to penetrate. There was a collection of furs laid out on one side, while a cluster of charred rocks sat adjacent to it.

"Is this your home?" She asked, as he set her on her feet.

He nodded, and then gestured for her to stay put before leaping over the edge and down to the floor.

Looking around, she saw some logs and twigs for a fire, and got to working building one. It would be dark soon enough, and the evenings held a bit of chill. Thankfully, she had her fire magic, so the fire was alive and roaring in no time.

As she waited, she peered through the branches to try and make out her surroundings. Mostly, it was just trees, but in the distance she could see the waterfalls that Tarzan had mentioned, and the sun setting on her right.

"The Heart is to the South of here...not that I really know where 'here' is." She plopped down on the furs, content to just wait patiently.

Sora returned about 15 minutes later, a furry creature in his mouth.

"Ah!" Kairi cried in disgust.

"Food!" He replied, spitting it out on the floor.

Kairi started at the dead animal with horror. He didn't expect her to eat that, did he?

It seemed not, since he dug a knife out of the pile of furs. He then grabbed two long sticks and got to work cleaning his kill.

It made Kairi feel a little better, and she crept closer to watch him work.

He glanced up from his work for a moment. "Why Kairi come? Why in Jungle?"

The question surprised her, simply because it was the most amount of words he had strung together so far.

She pulled her legs up, getting more comfortable. "You know the monsters, the..." What had Tarzan called them? "...not-monkeys?"

"Mhm." He nodded.

"Well, they aren't just here. They're all over the worlds. You remember the different worlds right?"

"Mm!" He nodded again, and then thought for a moment. He raised his hands above his head to make a point. "Big...rock, no...s-stone?"

"Are you trying to say Castle?"

"Castle!" He chirped, snapping his fingers. "Many castle! And..." he covered his eye with a hand and made a hook with his finger. "Arggh!"

"Pirates!"

"Yeah yeah! Um um...ooooooo!" He wiggled his fingers, making an eerie sound.

"Uh, Halloween Town? The ghosts?"

"Ghosts!" He smiled, clapping his hands together.

"So you know English, it's just hard for you to remember words?"

He scrunched his nose. "'Member things. Long time."

"Ten Years is a long time to go without speaking to anyone."

"'Member home. Mommy daddy. 'Member friend. 'Member Kairi too."

"What? Remember me? No...you must be mistaken. I didn't start studying under Eraqus until about a year ago."

"No no. Not key...keyblade. Mmm..." he closed his eyes in thought, remembering the time vividly, but not the words to describe it. But then, he pulled one out. "Garden."

"Garden...? Why, you must have come to Radiant Garden once! I'm sorry, but I don't remember that. My memory before 8 years ago is completely gone."

"Not 'member Sora?"

She shook her head sadly.

He pouted, then ultimately went back to preparing their food. "Not monkeys?" He prompted.

"Oh! Um...well, it all started about six years ago." She relayed the information Master Eraqus had given when she was recruited. "King Mickey noticed the stars blinking out, one by one. You know, the stars are other worlds."

He hummed, indicting he was listening. Though how much he understood, she didn't know.

"So he, Master Yen Sid, and my Uncle, Ansem the Wise, all looked into it. Previously, all the worlds had been separated, and the only way to get between them was with the use of a keyblade."

"'Member that!" He smirked.

"But now, they have all been connected by dark corridors, allowing the darkness to come and swallow the worlds, and swallow hearts. Those creatures are called the Heartless, and they happen when someone's heart is lost to the darkness. We came to the Jungle to find the heart of this world, and lock it. To prevent to world from being swallowed too."

His mouth was scrunched up, as he digested this information.

"Too much?" She asked, "I know it's hard to understand."

"No no, got it. Heart too dark turn not monkey world heart lock not swallow. See?"

To her it just sounded like he was having a stroke. "Heart...too dark turns into a heartless."

"Heartless not not monkey," he said as a note to himself. "World's are connected?"

"Yes. To the dark realm, through corridors...or halls or paths."

"Oh oh oh," he nodded. "How?"

"We...don't really know. But Yen Sid and Uncle have theorized that either a person or entity found an existing hole between the two realms, and crossed over, creating corridors as they travelled. But this is solely based on conjecture."

Sora's eyes glazed over.

"Sorry, um...let's just say, someone made holes on purpose."

"Who?"

"We think it was Maleficent."

He frowned, his brows furrowing in thought.

"You met her before," Kairi confirmed his thoughts. "A long time ago. She's a witch with horns and green skin."

His eyes became huge. "Oh oh oh!" He clenched his eyes shut, the word on the tip of his tongue. He curled his fingers into claws, and then swiped them through the air while he pretended to roar.

"Dragon?"

"Mmm!" He breathed in relief.

"It's okay. Someday you'll get your words back."

"Kairi help? Yes." He said confidently.

She couldn't help but blush slightly. He had certainly taking a liking to her. "So...we're looking for a keyhole." She continued. "We think it's at the waterfall, since that's at the heart of the Jungle."

He didn't say anything, just put the meat on the sticks, and handed one to Kairi, demonstrating how to cook it over the fire.

That was the best she could explain the situation, given the facts they knew. She surmised that the Masters might know a little bit more, but at this point in her training that knowledge would only overwhelm and depress her, since she wouldn't be able to do anything.

"Sora's home..." he wondered aloud. "Mommy daddy think Sora dead?"

This conversation had quickly taken a turn for the worse. Might as well tell him the news now, instead of letting him find out later and get mad that it had been withheld. "Sora, about the Destiny Islands..." she began slowly. "Your mom and dad, probably did think you were dead, but..."

He looked up from the fire, staring at her intently.

"The Islands were swallowed by the darkness about six years ago. Riku, and I guess you too, are the only inhabitants to have survived...I'm sorry."

His gaze fell back on the fire, and silence reigned. The sun had set, and darkness was settling on them, with only the light of the fire to protect them.

"Keyhole..." Sora began after a moment. He rubbed his cheeks with the heel of his hand. "Lock it will...save Jungle? Save Tarzan Jane?"

"That's right."

"Kairi leave after?"

"...yeah. We'll all go."

"Kairi not stay?"

"No...and you shouldn't either. You should come back with us."

He screwed up his lips, the thought not pleasant to him. But before he could protest, his dinner burst into flames. "Ah Ah!" He shouted waving it around.

"I'll put it out!" Kairi summoned her keyblade.

"No!" He kept blowing on it, putting out the flames. "Gonna eat!"

Kairi watched in concern as he put out his meat, and then began to gnaw on it like a dog.

Kairi, in turn, took her dinner away from the flames, seeing that it was cooked nearly to perfection. It tasted good, especially since she had barely eaten all day.

After dinner, Sora yawned loudly and crawled over to her to join her on the furs.

"You should get me back to camp." She tried again.

He shook his head, smoothing out the bedding, then he laid down, tugging on her arm. "Kairi belong with Sora."

He still didn't understand.

Resigned, she laid down too, her back to him.

His arms wrapped around her, his face nuzzling into her hair. "Stay..." he yawned again.

Kairi was frozen. This was weird. This was uncomfortable, but...she felt safe. For all intents and purposes, he was a stranger. One day of broken conversation did not a relationship make, let alone a friendship, though she had promised him that much.

But she tried to imagine it from his point of view. All alone for ten years. Then he finally found someone like him, and the thought of having them leave him alone again? No wonder he was so possessive.

When was the last time anyone showed him any affection?

With that depressing thought, she rested her hands on top of his and tried to relax. Though it wasn't comfortable, she eventually fell asleep.

—

"So let me get this straight..." Terra began. "You found them, but you told Kairi to run off with him?"

"Well, what else was I supposed to do? He doesn't like you guys."

"She's been gone all night! Who knows if we'll ever see her again?!"

Riku rolled his eyes. This is why he waited so long before mentioning that he had seen Sora and Kairi. "She'll come back eventually. But without her spending time with him, he'll never trust us. More specifically you. He likes me."

Aqua and Ventus looked at each other while the boys fought. "Do you think Sora will actually bring her back?"

Aqua shrugged. "I don't know him anymore. I have no way of guessing."

A moment later, two figures dropped from the tree onto the balcony of the treehouse.

Everyone deflated ever so slightly when it turned out to be Tarzan and Jane.

"Hello," Jane greeted warmly. "Sorry for dropping in so suddenly."

"Time is right, time to go to waterfall."

"What? Really?" Said Ventus, perking up considerably.

"We can't worry about Kairi right now, we have a job to do." Riku said, grabbing his small pack of supplies.

"Fine. We'll discuss this later."

Tarzan led them South by Southeast, a direction they hadn't explored yet, much to Terra's chagrin. They could hear the waterfall, roaring in the distance, hope filling their chests.

But then there was another sort of roaring coming from behind them.

"What was that?"

Tarzan fell into a fighting stance, grabbing his spear from his back.

"Sounds like a tiger," said Ventus, also summoning his keyblade.

"There are no tigers in Africa, actually." Jane explained. "It's much more likely to be a leopard."

"Not leopard." Tarzan said, hushing them.

"If it's not a leopard...what is it?"

Tarzan was quiet, listening to the growl that was getting louder. "Not know."

The shadows from the trees shifted, and changed shape. Then they turned even darker, swelling up from the ground to take form.

It looked like a leopard alright, but black in body with blue spots. It had huge, blood red claws and eyes that smoldered with hatred.

"Not leopard." Tarzan said again, as if it wasn't obvious.

"It's not a heartless either." Said Aqua, watching the creature pace back and forth. "But I bet it's what's been stalking Sora."

The creature stood only a few feet away, pacing at the tree line, it's tail swishing back and forth. No one wanted to attack first, not knowing how strong the beast was.

Suddenly, two people fell from the trees, landing protectively in front of the group.

"Kairi!" Aqua shouted, once she saw her red hair. She grabbed her arm and pulled her into a hug. "We were so worried!"

"I'm okay, I promise."

Aqua did not relinquish her hold, but her attention became riveted on the young man who had arrived with her.

He did not withdraw his keyblade, but he put himself between the strange creature and the others, his back to them.

"Sora! Get out of there!" Terra reprimanded.

He didn't respond.

The not-leopard hissed and growled, and Sora returned the threat.

Then they started making strange noises, much like whispers. They seemed to be holding a conversation.

"Oh my god..." whispered Riku. "That's the language of the heartless."

"Are you sure?" Aqua asked, frightened.

"I used to know it, in the darkness. I'd recognize it anywhere."

Sora and the beast seemed to reach some sort of agreement, and the cat dissolved back into shadow and disappeared.

Up until now, Sora had yet to face them. He just stood hunched over, his shoulders tense.

"Sora...?" Aqua asked softly. "Is that you?"

He finally turned, making eye contact with her. His blue eyes piercing and full of betrayal.

"It is you..." she breathed, tears blurring her vision. "And all this time, I thought we lost you..." She reached for him, but he backed away, hissing.

"Sora, it's us." Terra pleaded. "We've come to take you home!"

Sora turned on him as well, snarling and showing off his abnormally large canines.

"Hey, what about me?" Tried Ventus. If what Aqua said was true, perhaps Sora would respond better to him, someone he was close with in those days. "Don't you remember me?"

His reaction was different, but not better. Sora acknowledged his voice and backed up further, whining like a wounded animal. He looked absolutely heartbroken.

Finally, Sora glanced at Riku, and then Kairi, who was still being held by Aqua. He let out a low, sad moan, and darted off into the foliage.

"Will go after," Tarzan announced, making chase.

Aqua finally let go of Kairi, if only to hide her face in her hands. "He's alive!" Her cry was muted. "He's alive..."

Terra looked to Jane, who had quietly watched the exchange without comment. "Jane, do you know the way to the waterfalls?"

"Why, yes I do—..."

"What about Sora?" Ventus protested. "We should go after him."

"No. Not yet," Terra emphasized. "Finding the keyhole is the reason we came here."

Ventus pouted, looking incredibly put off.

"Look, I can only worry about one thing at a time. Let's go seal the keyhole, then once that's done, we can take our time trying to help Sora. That's not something we should rush."

Everyone begrudgingly agreed, and on they went.

—

Disney Castle, evening. A rainy night, though well needed to keep the lush greens of the promenade full and regal. The windows of the library were open, letting the sounds of rain fill the room.

A few days ago, King Mickey finally returned from his long quest across the worlds. His good friend Eraqus had mentioned that his students had gone together to seal the final world. There was more work to do to defeat Maleficent, but for the time being, he needed to rest. Furthermore, he needed to catch up with his queen and friends.

Currently, he was sitting at his desk, carefully going over documents that had been waiting since his departure, that Minnie couldn't cover for him. The queen was sitting on a lounger not too far away, reading a book, pleased to just be in his company. Pluto, his ever faithful companion snoozed on the floor next to the fireplace.

"Mickey?" The Queen asked.

"Hmm?"

"You know, I was just thinking...we should invite Eraqus' students over for a dinner when they get back. They've been working so hard to seal all the keyholes, they deserve a reward."

"Great thinking, Min! They sure do deserve something. Can you and Daisy take care of it?"

"Of course."

Mickey sat back in his chair. "Do you know what world they're in right now?"

"I'm afraid not."

"They went to Deep Jungle. That's the world where Sora disappeared."

"Oh dear. That must be hard for Terra and Aqua."

"It's strange...the Heartless haven't been around that long, but...I've had this feeling that his disappearance wasn't an accident, like a wild animal or anything. I think someone did it on purpose."

"You think Maleficent?"

"Or...someone else."

Nearly a moment later, a dark corridor opened in the corner of the library, startling them both. Pluto was awake instantly, barking in warning, as King Mickey summoned his keyblade.

But unexpectedly, a bearded man stumbled in through the portal, nearly collapsing on the floor. He looked like a mess.

"Ansem the Wise?" Asked The King.

"Mickey my friend...Radiant Garden has fallen."


	7. In Which A Keyhole is Found

Not long after Tarzan had run off to find Sora had he returned, his face thoughtful. "Upset," he explained. "Needs alone time."

Kairi almost wondered if it would be good for her to go after him instead, but she decided to heed his request.

Terra was right. The keyhole must be sealed.

They made it to the waterfalls before noon, which was a great thing, considering how massive they were.

"Should have brought our bathing suits." Ventus commented, looking over the edge of the cliff and down into the river below.

"No time for a swim, I'm afraid. Let's get to work." Aqua reprimanded.

"Where do you think it is?"

Riku snorted. "Well, if you ever played a Zelda game, you would know there's always something good behind the waterfall."

"Yeah, but this isn't a video game." Replied Terra. He summoned his keyblade, pointing it out the waterfall. "Hmm, it's not out here though."

"It's not a dosing rod," Riku scoffed. "It's not just going to pop up like that."

"Okay Mr. Master-for-a-year, how do you think we should find it?"

Kairi broke off from the group as they argued, examining the face of the cliff where the waterfall began. It was about 80 feet up, at a 90 degree angle. If they wanted to get up to the top, they would have to find another way.

Then she glanced down, her eyes widening as she spotted a cave mouth, and a narrow path to it. "Let's check down there!" She shouted back.

Everyone hurried over to see where she was pointing.

"Ooh, good eye, Kai!"

She grinned.

"What did I tell you? Behind the waterfall." Riku gloated.

"Yeah, you can rub it in when we find it."

The cave mouth ran the length of the waterfall, one wall just being solid water. Eventually, the small path opened up into a wide wall of ledges and caverns.

"Well...guess we explore." Riku stated, looking for footholds in the rock. "Everything is wet, so be careful."

"That's what she said," muttered Ventus, before getting elbowed in the gut.

They spread out, climbing their way up the rock face and traveling down short tunnels to dead ends. "There's nothing here!" Whined Ventus laying on a ledge, "Not even any treasure!"

"Just keep looking," Aqua tried to motivate. "The cavern is big."

Jane, of all people, had made it her personal mission to scale the wall up the the top of the cavern. It had taken some time, but once she made it, she called down from above. "I think I found it! This cave runs deeper than the others!"

Using her instructions, everyone made their way up to her, and found themselves standing at the entrance to a much bigger, much darker tunnel than the others.

"Well?"

"Kinda scary." Kairi admitted.

"Scarier than fighting heartless in a graveyard?" Riku mentioned with a snicker.

"No, that was the worst. Thanks for reminding me."

With that, they delved deeper into the caves.

"It's creepy," Commented Ventus, agreeing with Kairi. "I'm expecting some nasties to just pop up."

"Oh don't say that Ven!"

Finally, the tunnel spilled out into a large room, with an open ceiling. An ancient looking tree stood directly ahead of them, covered in vines and glowing blue butterflies.

But more astoundingly, there was Sora, looking pissed to high hell.

"Sora's spot! Secret place!" He looked ready to fight. "Leave!"

"We're not here to hurt you," Riku said, taking a step towards him. "You remember me? Riku? Riku friend?"

Sora relaxed slightly. "Like Riku." He agreed.

"And Riku like Sora. Riku also likes Terra, Aqua, and Ventus."

They were making progress. Sora wasn't growling at their names now.

But it still unbelievably painful for Aqua, who did her damndest to get ahold of her emotions. "Sora...you know we would never hurt you. This...this was an accident, and I'm so so sorry."

Sora wasn't so eager to accept her apology. He huffed angrily.

"Why never come? Come for Sora?"

It was just as she feared. "We didn't know you were here!"

"Last place was! Never left!"

"We looked for you for three days!" She insisted, tears freely flowing.

"Look for Keyhole much longer..." he muttered.

It was a low blow, attacking their sense of duty.

"Please Sora. We made a mistake. If there had been any inkling that you were safe, we would have kept looking, but...there was just...nothing. Please, we have missed you so so much and we want you to come home!" She stepped forward, her arms open wide. "Please..."

He crawled backwards, closer to the tree, startling the butterflies. "Too late. No saving Sora."

"No saving...?" Aqua whispered. "You mean the creature hunting you?"

He didn't respond.

The butterflies caught Kairi's attention, and she saw what others didn't. Carefully, she stepped closer to him. "Sora..." she said soothingly.

Her voice got through to him, and he looked at her, pleading her to take his side.

"Do you remember why we came?"

"Keyhole." He said simply.

"That's right, and you found it!"

He cocked his head slightly, then looked over his shoulder.

The butterflies had fluttered out of the way, revealing a keyhole in the middle of the tree.

"Will you help me close it?" She asked, summoning her keyblade.

He nodded, crawling towards her and placing his hand upon hers on the hilt. A beam shot out and entered the keyhole, locking the world.

Finally, their job was done.

Sora looked up to Kairi, sadly. "Leaving?"

"Not without you," she insisted, resting a hand in his shoulder.

He shook his head, extracting himself from her touch. "Don't belong. Not safe."

"Of course you belong with us, Sora." Aqua added. "We're your family."

It seemed the conversation would have to be continued another time. Jane shouted out in surprise as a shadow appeared from the entrance of the cave. The same cat as before, with an attitude to boot.

Tarzan grabbed Jane and pulled her behind him.

"Guard!" Aqua called, summoning a barrier.

Before it connected to the ground, Sora slid across the ground and got between them and the cat, the barrier closing behind him.

"No!" Cried Kairi.

"Drop the barrier, Aqua!" Ventus begged. "He can't be out there alone!"

But before she could even do anything, Sora summoned his keyblade, in all of its horror.

Riku looked sick at the sight.

The cat leapt, ready to attack. Everyone cried out in protest, all afraid to lose him after finally finding him.

But surprisingly, Sora stood against the attack. The claw-like tendrils on the keyblade came to life, stretching and swiping at the cat, piercing its hide, and tearing it asunder. Like teeth, the keyblade devoured the creature, even its essence, until there was nothing left.

Sora panted once it was all over, and then fell to his knees.

"Sora!" Cried Kairi.

Aqua dropped the barrier instantly, running to him.

He coughed and heaved, like he was going to become sick, but he kept swallowing it back instead.

Finally, he passed into unconsciousness.

"What the hell was that?!" Terra yelled. "I've never seen a keyblade do that!"

"I don't think they're supposed to." Said Aqua, checking his vitals. "Something is very wrong with his heart. That's why his keyblade looked like that."

"Well, at least he's free from being hunted now." Riku noted.

Tarzan grunted, drawing their attention. "Leopard not hunter. Not first to attack him."

"Wait wait wait," Terra spoke up, "are you saying that there have been other beasts like this after him?"

"Many. Come from one."

Resolved, Aqua turned Sora over on his back. "I know we shouldn't force him to do anything, but at this point, we have choice. We have to bring him home. Maybe Master Eraqus or Yen Sid...or even Ansem the Wise could help him. And he's not safe here."

Terra agreed and stooped to pick him up.

Jane spoke up. "I'm sorry we'll be parting like this, but thank you for all your help."

"It's our job!" Ventus said a little proudly.

"We'll definitely come to visit. I'm sure or Master will want to investigate this creature a little more. We can even bring you stuff you miss from London."

"That would be marvelous! Now you better get a move on! I hope you the best!"

—

Sora thankfully stayed asleep the whole trip back. They loaded him on the ship first while the boys got to work dismantling the camp. His breathing was harsh, but he did not stir.

Kairi knelt by his side, as he laid on the floor, a blanket under him.

"You okay?" Aqua asked, seeing her face wrinkled with concern.

"I'm just...confused. Mostly worried, but...Sora himself is easy to read, but there so much mystery involving him...it's hard to think."

"I understand." Aqua sat next to her. "I'm sorry we didn't tell you guys about him earlier but...we really thought he was gone forever."

"I don't hold it against you. But still..."

"Yeah..."

"You know...last night, Sora and I talked over dinner. He mentioned he remembered me from Radiant Garden. You guys visited when I was little?"

"Yeah, pretty often. Though, usually Master Eraqus, Terra, and I would talk with Ansem the Wise, while Sora played in the courtyard, under the observation of the guard, of course.

Kairi smiles softly. "I love the courtyard. My grandma used to take me there a lot. I bet I did know him back then."

"Did you explain that you lost your memory?"

"Yeah. He was sad about it, but I'm sure we'll make new memories."

Aqua hummed in agreement, her gaze going back to Sora. "In fact...if there truly is darkness stirring in his heart, it's probably best that he's around you. You'll help him heal, right?"

She smiled softly. "Yeah, Sora's safe with me."

—

Radiant Garden.

Or what it once was.

In just the span of 24 hours, the heartless army had decimated the town. Those that hadn't turned into heartless had fled anyway possible. Shoddy gummi ships took off towards Traverse Town, jammed packed full of civilians. The walls to the fountains broke, and water flooded in, flowing backwards from the overwhelming influence of the darkness.

A witch in a black robe paced the hall in the chapel, contemplating the changes she'd make to the castle.

"Radiant Garden's Castle, just as promised." Her visitor said.

"My my, when you said you'd get it for me, I didn't believe you'd actually do it. Though, you seem much more capable to achieve your goals than I first imagined. This seemed like a walk in the park for you."

"It may have looked effortless, but it was no small feat. This world is fiercely guarded by its people and warriors of the keyblade."

"Then why bother with it at all, if it was so full of light?"

The other hummed, "this world is unique. Its keyhole is incomplete, and therefore, there is no way for it to fall to the darkness. In order for the keyhole to be complete, the seven Princesses of Heart must be assembled."

"As you said before," Maleficent drawled. "The objective you have given me to complete."

"Correct. Three of the Princesses are here already, I sense them in the castle, hiding. The fourth will be brought here later this evening. Two more will be easy to find, and the last…the last would be difficult, but I have a plan for her."

"And if I gather these princesses and reveal the keyhole, what then? Why should I even be listening to you?"

"Trust me, my dear. Once everything is in place, you shall know untold power. Not just over this world, but all worlds. Can I count on you, Mistress of Evil?"

Her smile was disgusting, filled with unspeakable evil. "Of course, there's no one better for the job."


	8. In Which Sora Comes Home

Eraqus assumed having all the kids out of the house would be a treat. Finally time to get things done that he had been putting off.

But he had neglected to factor in all the chores left behind.

He was in the throne room, mopping the marble in silence. He sighed to himself, his mind active of worry. Aqua hadn't checked in in two days. He kept telling himself it was just because they were busy, but the paternal part of his brain kept telling him that they were in danger.

"One more day, and then I'm going after them."

Turns out, he didn't have to go that far. The front door slammed open.

"Master!" Aqua called.

The mop fell to the floor with a clatter as Eraqus ran from the room.

His children were all gathered in the entryway, a young, barely clothed man in Terra's arms.

"Oh god...is that...? What happened?"

"We found and sealed the keyhole," Terra explained, wanting to get that out of the way. "But then we were attacked by a creature, it kind of looked like a heartless, but not..."

"It had long red eyes instead of yellow dots." Added Riku.

"Long red eyes? Did it hurt him?" He gestured to Sora.

"No, it just..." Aqua struggled to explain what happened. It was rather bizarre after all.

"Here, let's take him to the infirmary. You can tell me all about it then."

The infirmary was just a room with a bed, bathroom, and cabinets filled with potions, ethers, elixirs, and panacea. There was not much use for a first aid kit with those who were proficient in magic around.

Sora was lowered onto the bed, still not waking.

"He doesn't look injured. Tell me what happened," Eraqus demanded as he began his examination.

"Well, Kairi was the first to see him..."

They each took turns explaining what had occurred, each making sure there was not a single detail of the trip left out.

After Eraqus had looked him over, the story was still going, and all he could do was listen, his face screwed up in thought.

"His keyblade…ate the monster?"

"That's what it looked like...a heart wasn't released either."

"Hmm..." the Master hummed in thought, truly lost for words. "I am deeply troubled by this information, but I'm glad you told me." With nothing else to do for poor Sora, he simply covered him with a blanket and made him comfortable. "All we can do now, is wait for him to wake up. Perhaps he will allow me to study his keyblade then."

Aqua said, "Master, he's still rather hostile towards those of us he knew back then. He thinks we abandoned him there."

Eraqus sighed, "a logical conclusion. Then I suppose we will just have to regain his trust."

"And how do we do that?"

"Simple." He looked to Kairi. "We have a liaison."

"Me?" She asked.

"Of course. Aqua says he's taken a liking to you."

"Yeah but..." she hesitated, "he said he remembered me, from a time when he visited Radiant Garden as a kid. What if I don't live up to those expectations? Will he feel betrayed again?"

"Oh Kairi, you needn't worry about that. Just do your best and be a friend."

Unsure, she said nothing, only hunched her shoulders.

"Now, you've all had a very long week, why don't you get cleaned up and go to bed, hm? King Mickey has invited you to a dinner in celebration of your hard work tomorrow night, so sleep in, relax, you've all earned it."

"Dibs on the shower first!" Ventus shouted, before running out of the room. The rest soon followed, except for Kairi, who lingered, watching Sora.

"If you're feeling restless, I could use some help preparing Sora's room." Eraqus offered.

She nodded, pulling her eyes away from him, and together, they went down the hall.

The Castle of Departure was a very unique castle indeed. It's form was tied to Eraqus' keyblade, and therefore his will. Extra rooms could be created as needed, without the exterior being altered.

Eraqus stopped at the spot in the hall between Riku's and Kairi's rooms, then he summoned his keyblade, light surrounding the tip.

A door with a crown appeared in a flash, and unlocked with a click.

Each room in the castle was different. The bedrooms were paired with the owner's keyblade so that only they, and Eraqus, could unlock it. In turn, the room was made just for them, and showed a reflection of their heart. Kairi's room looked very similar to the one she had back home in Radiant Garden; large, with plush carpets and big windows with wispy curtains. Likewise, Riku's matched the one back in Destiny Islands, despite that room no longer existing.

So opening Sora's door, Kairi expected a child's room, since that's the way it would have looked back then. However, that's not what was inside. At one time, this may have been a child's room, and a rather small one at that, but something was wrong. Immediately inside was a three wall section, that was reminiscent of these times, a small bed against the left wall, pictures on the right. Souvenirs and mementoes, various types of gear for snow, ocean, and desert, a whole pile of toys and play weapons, all in a hodge-podge of childhood excitement and wonder. But where the fourth wall, the adjacent wall should have been, there was a staircase that led down into a huge room. Only the ceiling was visible, as everything else was hidden under piles and piles of junk.

The larger section of the room was dark, despite the skylight, only the tops of the piles were visible. The further down, the darker it got, until everything was seeped in darkness. Who knew just how deep that went? A layer of dust covered everything, and cobwebs hung like curtains in the corners. Besides the neglect of ten years, the room just felt heavy.

Eraqus coughed at the dust cloud that had unsettled upon opening the door. "We may have our work cut out for us after all..."

Kairi wandered in, her eyes bounding over each corner in curiosity.

"Was it always like this?"

"No," Eraqus stated, walking over to the stairs. "There was a bay window here once, huge and let in plenty of light…It was always messy though."

"So...I didn't realize these rooms could be this big."

"They're a big as they need to be. Ventus's room, when he first came, was tiny, and completely white. But as the years went on and his heart healed, the room grew and color appeared. I suspect that this mess is a physical manifestation of the state of his heart, much like his keyblade."

"I can understand the mess and darkness then, but why is the room so big?"

"That I don't know. I surmise that Ansem the Wise could have the answer, but it is difficult to understand the heart's nature."

Kairi gave a lingering look to the hoard, then turned away, noticing the right wall. At first glance, it looked like it was covered in magazine clippings, but upon further inspection, it was plain to see they were photographs. Photos mostly of people, and Sora was with them. Many she recognized. A younger Hercules, Peter Pan, some pirates from the Caribbean. There were even more that she didn't recognize. But in each picture, Sora was beaming with excitement and hugging someone. Above it all, there was a sign written in child's handwriting. 'People I never want to forget'

Then, right smack in the middle, there was a picture of him with her, of all people. Both very young, around six years old. Arms wrapped around each other, cheek to cheek, and smiling bright as the sun.

Carefully, she pulled the picture off the wall and flipped it over. In her uncle's handwriting, 'Kairi and her Prince Charming' was written.

"We did know each other." She whispered. "Did you know?" She asked Eraqus.

He hummed in confirmation. "Most of the time, I allowed Terra and Aqua to go out and see the worlds alone, knowing that the worlds themselves could teach them infinitely more than I ever could. However, after an incident involving a dragon, I became much more cautious about what worlds Sora went to with them. On missions deemed too dangerous for him, I took him to Radiant Garden or Disney Castle. He'd continue his studies either with the Captain of the Guard, Goofy, and the Court Magician, Donald Duck, or with your uncle, learning the affairs of the heart."

Kairi continued to stare at the photo, begging the memories to return.

But alas, they were blank.

"When he disappeared, I came and told you myself what happened. You were inconsolable for days. Ansem the Wise said you hadn't cried that hard since you lost your parents. You refused food, and eventually stopped talking to people for the next two years...that's actually what prompted your Uncle's experiment on you. He worried that even as a Princess of light, you could become lost to the darkness. So he asked me to lock your heart, and in turn, you lost your memory. That wasn't the intended effect, but..."

Kairi vowed at that very moment that she was going to remember everything about him, and make a whole bunch of new memories in the process.

She turned to her master, smiling despite the heartbreak she had just endured. "We better clean up for him then!"

—

In the middle of the night, when all was silent, Sora awoke.

His immediate, very logical reaction was panic. He was in a place totally different from where he fell unconscious after all. But once he realized he was alone, he relaxed ever so slightly. He sat up, feeling the blanket that was draped on him. It was clean, and in good repair, not like the scraps of cloth he found in the jungle. And it smelled familiar.

He slid out of the bed, his bare feet touching the cold hard floor. He looked around, noting the absence of foliage. Peering out the window, he couldn't see much in the darkness, but there didn't seem to be any trees at all. A strange place. Then, he found the exit and crept into the hall.

It was eerie, being in a foreign place at night. The halls were wide, but mostly empty, so there weren't many places to hide. Instead, Sora kept to the shadows, and moved slowly.

There was something familiar about this place, though he couldn't quite place it at the moment.

Then he passed the doorway to a large throne room, and it hit him. His old home. When he had fallen in battle, they brought him back instead of leaving him behind like he expected.

Perhaps...they really did care for him.

But that's not what _he_ said.

He followed the familiar path to his old room. Though, his door was flanked by new doors on either side.

He pressed against the door, it opening with a creak.

The inside had been vacuumed and dusted, and a large sheet covered the far wall.

Eraqus looked up when he heard the door open.

"Sora," he said simply. "I wondered when you'd awake."

The response was a hiss, as the boy backed into the hall.

"So you are feral, just as Aqua said."

Sora quit hissing, but kept his distance.

"Have I ever given you a reason to distrust me? Did I not care for you and love you like my own son? You were always so smart, Little One. Why would I purposefully leave my prodigy in the jungle all alone? Would I abandon him?"

Sora whimpered at the softness of his tone. It wasn't accusatory, or demanding, just casual.

Eraqus beckoned him forward with a flick of the wrist. "Come here, Little One. Let me see your keyblade."

Little One. Little, but mighty. Small in size, but big in heart. That what he used to be called. That was his title. He hated it at first, but grew to see it as an honor. Those who heard it would underestimate him.

Though, he wasn't sure if he deserved that name anymore.

Shyly, Sora crawled over to his master on his knuckles. Eraqus sat on the bed and patted the mattress next to him, but Sora just knelt at his feet.

Master Eraqus held his hands out. "Come on, it's alright."

With great hesitation, Sora summoned his keyblade and rested it in his hands, ashamed.

Eraqus was silent as he studied the blade. "What have you been doing all these years?"

He didn't answer, only stared at the ground in shame.

"This is...unheard of, as far as I know. Perhaps Ansem will have some answers in due time."

Sora still didn't respond, only clenched his fists.

"But that's a problem for another day. Come, let's get you cleaned up. King Mickey has invited you to Disney Castle for a dinner tomorrow. You remember Mickey, don't you?"

Sora sat back, staring at him thoughtfully.

"Maybe Donald? Or Goofy?"

His eyes widened slightly as he declared, "A-hyuck!"

Eraqus smiled. Not all was lost. "They've missed you, you know? It was very hard on them." He stood, and gestured Sora to follow.

Curiously, Sora followed obediently, walking on his knuckles and toes.

Eraqus led him to a bathroom at the end of the hall. Sora watched as he flicked on the light, and turned the water on in the tub.

"You haven't had a proper bath in some time. You'll have to get cleaned up for the party."

Sora crept to the tub, testing the water with his hand.

"Warm enough?"

Sora gave a little nod.

"Alright, just wait here. I'll be right back."

Once he was alone again, he explored the room, faintly remembering how things worked. The sink, the toilet, and even the shower caddies filled with soaps. There was a red bottle, and he pulled off the cap, taking a whiff. It smelled like fruit, so he gave a little taste.

Bad idea.

Eraqus returned to find Sora rubbing his tongue on a towel.

"Um, that's not—here, let's get you washed up." He picked up the open bottle of soap and brought it over.

He had raided the laundry room and found some suitable pajamas. A shirt from Riku, some pants from Ventus. Enough to give the boy something to wear that was more than the loin cloth.

Sora climbed in the tub hesitantly, feeling weird about it. But Eraqus was unfazed as he dumped a bucket of water on him to wet his hair.

"You're lucky your hair wasn't matted. We won't have to cut it…though a trim might do you well." He squeezed some shampoo into his hair and started to massage it in, but Sora smacked his hands away to do it himself.

"Of course, I don't need to do this for you anymore." Eraqus said with a hum. "Think you can handle the rest on your own? I'll make you something to eat." As he stood, he could faintly hear Sora speak.

"T-thank you…Master."

With a soft smile, he left the room.

Alone, Sora continued to lather the shampoo in his hair, his mind wandering.

This was…completely different than he expected. Different than what_ he_ said would happen. He was met with kindness and understanding. He was wanted, and maybe…even loved.

Well, he couldn't go back to the jungle. So he was stuck here, no matter what. And Kairi and Riku seemed to be on his side.

Kairi.

Perhaps she would be worth staying for.


	9. In Which There's a Dinner at Mickey's

Saying that Sora was uncomfortable would be an understatement. He was wearing borrowed clothes from Ventus; a red jumper with a white short sleeved jacket over it. Sora continued to tug at the puffy pant legs for some relief, but to no avail. The outfit was just a little too small. His undershorts rode up his backside, and people kept slapping his hand away when he tried to pick at it. Not to mention, his sock was falling down in his too-big shoe. He was pretty sure the jumper was picked specifically so he couldn't drop trou when he finally got fed up with wearing clothes.

"Red suits you," Kairi had said when she noticed his discomfort. It had helped, but only slightly.

Currently, they were in the courtyard, having just arrived with the borrowed gummi ship, which they would continue to hold onto until Sora earned his keyblade armor.

He looked around briefly, finding solace in the greenery, no matter how manicured it was.

Then there were brooms. Walking brooms. Living brooms. He stared in shock. It was like something out of a dream, or a far off memory.

He followed the others through the castle, as they were escorted to a banquet hall. A large table was set with all sorts of dishes and silverware, heaps of food and decorations. And there were people talking loudly and quickly. He could barely make out the conversations. Frightened, he stood behind Kairi and tried to hide.

"Sora!" A high pitched voice called out to him.

Still nervous, Sora glanced over to where the voice was coming from, only to find a small creature with huge round ears. He stared in confusion.

"Gosh, you sure did grow up! You remember me though, don'tcha?"

Sora's memory was good, but very selective. He could recall events and faces, but not names or places. This person, he knew. He was certain he did. One that he never wanted to forget.

But the name was just on the tip of his tongue.

There was something about this place that brought a song to his head. And he began to hum it slowly. And then…"M-I-C-K-E-Y…M-O-U-S-E!"

"That's me! Mickey Mouse! Master Eraqus said you can't remember a lot of words right now. That's okay! You're safe here, okay?"

He wanted to believe that was true, but it was all just so overwhelming and different. So instead of responding, he just stayed quiet.

Kairi however, thanked Mickey for his concern, and then rested a warm hand on Sora's arm. "You can trust Mickey. He's a friend, just like Kairi."

If Kairi trusted him, then it must have been okay.

He was then re-introduced to two more friends from his past. A duck and a dog.

"Gawrsh Sora, We sure missed you! How'ya been?" Said Goofy.

"Still getting into trouble?" Asked Donald, though it was mostly unintelligible.

Sora thought for a moment, and then parroted Donald perfectly, blowing air out his cheeks to replicate the quacking sound. "_Still getting into trouble?_"

Those assembled, besides Donald, burst into laughter.

"Hey! What's the big idea?!" Donald quacked indignantly.

"_Hey! What's the big idea?!_" Again, Sora parroted him, finding it easier to copy Donald than to copy anyone else.

Kairi, still giggling, said, "I don't think he's the best person to copy if you want to relearn how to speak."

"Oh c'mon Kairi, it's funny as balls!" Ventus choked, as he continued laughing himself silly.

"I don't think it's funny at all!" Donald shrieked, hands on his hips.

"Haven't you ever heard the phrase, 'imitation is the best form of flattery?'"

"Aw, phooey."

"_Aw phooey_."

"Knock it off!"

When it was time for dinner, Sora was ushered to sit between Kairi and Riku, though he kept his hands under the table, afraid to touch anything. He sat quietly as everyone talked, catching up on all that had happened in the last week. Though most of the conversation was lost on him.

"Wow, Sora! You lived in a tree?" Asked Daisy.

Sora glanced over to Kairi for help, but she urged him on.

"Y-yes…" he nodded. "Big…big tree."

"That's amazing! What did you do when it rained?"

He waved his hands over his head. "Leaves…lots. Stay dry."

"Oh I see! What kind of tree was it?"

He frowned, perturbed to have to repeat himself. "Big tree."

She simply laughed, and the conversation moved onward.

More brooms arrived, with carts of trays of food. Sora could smell it, and buzzed in his seat with excitement.

But, King Mickey stood on his chair and raised a glass. "I'd like to make a toast."

Everyone took their glass and raised it as well, including Sora who looked around to make sure he was doing it right.

"To you, the keyblade wielders. For all your hard work this last year. We still have much work to do in order to defeat Maleficent and banish the darkness, but thanks to your efforts, no more worlds will be lost. And that is an incredible accomplishment. On behalf of all the worlds I visited, thank you. And, I'd also like to welcome home: Sora. Someone very important to our cause whom we've missed dearly all these years. To us!"

"To us!" The group sang together.

Sora watched as everyone clinked their glasses together in celebration, and then decided it was safe to do the same. Without warning, he slammed his glass into Riku's, shattering both of them.

Sora yelped out in fear at the sound and Riku's recoil, and then began to cry.

"It's alright!" Mickey packed quickly. "Accidents happen!"

A pair of brooms were quick to clean up the mess and get new glasses for the boys. Sora, still feeling ashamed, sat on his hands and refused to touch anything, even when the food was presented.

The assembled dug in, not noticing Sora's plight until Kairi spoke up. "You okay?"

He said nothing, but stared at his plate and licked his lips.

Rick nudged him, getting his attention. Then he took a fork in his fist, and brought it down to stick into a piece of broccoli. "See? Easy."

Sora grabbed his fork, just like Riku showed him, and went to stab an olive. It rolled away, and he struck again and again, missing continually, until he stabbed right through the plate with a crack. He moaned in frustration, pushed away from the table and laid on the floor.

"Aw, gee Sora, there's no reason to be upset." Said Goofy. "Why, I think you're doing' just fine! I break plates all the time!"

This was of some comfort, and Sora returned to his seat, as the brooms cleaned up his dinner. He wasn't that hungry anymore, but another serving was placed in front of him.

Again, Riku nudged him. When Sora looked over, he made a great show of setting his silverware down. Then he scooped up some mashed potatoes in his hand and ate it.

Kairi saw, and did the same with a handful of peas.

One by one, those around the table switched from fine dining, to eating like toddlers. Sora was immensely thankful, and dug into his own food.

After dinner, the group retired to the library.

"I just want to thank you guys again for all your hard work," Mickey said as they got comfortable among the couches.

"Your Majesty, it wasn't that hard. Sure, there were days that actually felt like we were struggling and doing work, but other days sort of felt like a vacation." Said Terra.

"Yeah," agreed Ventus, "it was cool to travel all over the place."

Mickey smiled, "well, I'm glad you guys had fun out there too. Most people your age aren't fighting to survive everyday, and some go without ever being in a fight at all! So, a thanks is required." Then he stepped over to his desk. "Now, I have a favor to ask. I have the royal Chronicler here, and I would like to document everything you guys can recall from your travels. Facts about the worlds, people you encountered, everything and anything you can think of. I know it's a lot, and we won't get through it today, but it's a start."

"I wrote down everything I did in a notebook," said Kairi. "It's back at the Land of Departure, but I can bring it next time."

"Great!"

"Where is the Chronicler?" Asked Terra.

"Over here!" Called a voice from on top of the desk. "Cricket's the name, Jiminy Cricket at your service!"

Sora was particularly interested in him, coming close to the desk to stare at him. He'd never seen a talking cricket before.

"I'm very fast at taking notes, so you all can take turns sharing stories, and I'll record it all!"

"Terra, let's go first." Urged Aqua. "After all, we were the first ones to see Maleficent in The Underworld."

"Right, so let's start there. Are you ready Jiminy?"

As they began their story, Mickey nudged Riku. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure, what's up?"

"Come with me." He beckoned to the door.

In the hall, the two travelled next door to Mickey's private study. A small room, with much fewer books. There was a desk with two chairs in front of it, both occupied. A desk lamp was on, as well as a fire in the fireplace. Overall, the room may have been much more cozy than the library, but tonight, it just felt dark.

Perhaps it was the presence of two very powerful individuals that made the room feel forbidding.

"Oh, Master Yen Sid, Ansem the Wise. I didn't know you were here." Riku said as Mickey closed the door.

"I'm sorry we were unable to greet you sooner. We took dinner here in the study, as there is much to discuss." Answered Ansem.

"About what? And why only me?"

Yen Sid stood, offering his seat. "Because, there is a traitor in our midst, and you are the only one we can trust at this time."

That was startling. "Me? Only me? What about Kairi! There's no way—"

"Kairi is not a Master, so she will not be burdened with this information."

"I...I guess...but I still find it hard to believe that Terra, Aqua, or Ventus could be traitors..."

"They are not suspects either."

Riku frowned, now thoroughly confused. "Perhaps you should explain everything to me..."


	10. In Which Things are So Much Worse

Riku finally took the seat that had been offered, as Yen Sid and Ansem the Wise tried to figure out where to start. The clock in the corner ticked to fill the silence, as Riku shuffled in his seat.

Finally, Yed Sid admitted, "Radiant Garden has fallen."

Riku leapt out of his chair, "you're kidding!"

"If only I were."

"But—how? I thought…I thought the keyhole there was sealed a long time ago."

"On the contrary," said Ansem. "The keyhole to Radiant Garden was never actually complete, and therefore, no one would be able to get to it."

"Then how did the Heartless?"

He sighed, Riku noticing the bags under his eyes more clearly than at first. The man looked awful. "Well, that would be the good news. They did not. The world still lives in the Realm of Light, but it was been taken over by Maleficent herself. Though I suppose, her next goal is to complete the keyhole herself. Or else she wouldn't have bothered."

Riku fell back in his chair, his head in his hands in despair. "This can't be happening. Does Kairi know?"

"I will tell Kairi myself once we are done here, you needn't worry about that."

Riku couldn't help but feel sick for her. He knew exactly what it was like to lose a home, but knew she wouldn't be prepared for it in the slightest.

"So what does that have to do with the traitor?" He asked, helpless.

"Perhaps I should start at the beginning," supplied Ansem. "A few months back, as we were still learning about the keyholes, it occurred to me that Maleficent had to come to the knowledge of other worlds and the heartless somehow. I consulted Aurora and the three fairies, and none of them had heard of any other world before Enchanted Dominion was swallowed by the darkness. So how did Maleficent know? I theorized that someone told her. And that someone had to be a keyblade wielder."

Riku nodded, following so far. "I see...but, Kairi and I let it slip a few times that we were from other worlds. It's not like we meant to do it. So, maybe it was an accident?"

"That's what I chalked it up to initially as well. I knew everyone knew about the world order, so I didn't mention it to Eraqus. Now, moving onward. A few weeks ago, I came to find another dead world."

"Dead world?" Asked Riku, concerned at the notion.

Ansem gestured for Yen Sid to take over.

"There are two dead worlds, that we know of. Worlds that exist without hearts. The keyblade graveyard, the sacred ground of a thousand year old war. It has been banned to return to, out of respect of the fallen. And The End of the World, where remnants of worlds that have been swallowed by darkness gather. We have all been there, at least once. Trying to assure the survivors of a fallen world. This is the heartless home-world, and where they are the strongest in the realm of light.

"Both of these worlds are halfway points between our realm of light and the realm of darkness. Therefore, the easiest places to summon Kingdom Hearts."

"Kingdom Hearts?" Riku asked. "I'm sorry I'm asking so many questions, but I've never heard of this stuff before."

"We are happy to answer any questions. After all, knowledge is power." Yen Sid assured. "The reason you have not heard most of this information, is because it's dangerous. But, we trust that you'll keep it quiet unless absolutely necessary."

Riku nodded in confirmation.

"Now, Kingdom Hearts is exactly what it sounds like. It's a state, a collection of hearts. One could argue that this castle is a Kingdom Hearts, but for our purposes, I'm talking about the Kingdom Hearts from the age of fairytales."

That was already a lot of information to swallow, but Riku gestured for him to continue, mostly understanding the gist of it.

"Long ago, when all the world's were one, a great entity hung in the sky, a collection of all hearts. A pure and perfect Kingdom Hearts. No one man ruled over it, but there was a man who discovered a way to do so, The Master of Masters. Kingdom Hearts gave him the χ-blade. 'χ' being the ancient letter pronounced 'chi' or 'kye'. The χ-blade is the ancestor from where all keyblades come from. This Kingdom Hearts is legend to hold ultimate power and wisdom, but without summoning it, we will never truly know. The χ-blade was shattered into thirteen shards of darkness and seven of light. The light was reborn into the hearts of the Princesses, such as Aurora and Cinderella. Consequently, those seven hearts are required to complete the keyhole to Radiant Garden."

"And…this is what Maleficent wants?"

"Perhaps. Though it is not completely known if she even knows about it yet."

"But wait, you said you found another dead world, Ansem?"

"That is correct. It was a few weeks ago, myself and Merlin the Wizard travelled to Twilight Town, in order to collect some old research notes I had left in the abandoned mansion there. Upon arrival, I saw a boy in a crowd that I was immediately suspicious of. Against Merlin's better judgement, I followed him. To my surprise, the boy led me to the mansion anyways. In the basement, he opened a corridor of darkness, and leapt inside."

"A dark corridor? But...that would mean he's in league with Maleficent!" Said Mickey.

"That's what I surmised as well, and so I jumped in after him. On the other side, I made a horrific discovery...another dead world. This one a city filled with Nobodies. The World That Never Was."

"Nobodies?" Mickey asked. "What do you mean? What's a Nobody?"

"What's a Heartless?" Ansem posed back.

"Well...it's a Heart that's been consumed by darkness. It's turned into a monster."

"And what becomes of the body that heart belonged to?"

Riku and Mickey didn't answer, but their silence was telling.

"The husk left behind begins to act with a will of its own. No heart, no feelings, only instinct. And they all congregated to this world, a city that stretched for miles, with not a living soul within its walls. Or so I thought." He took a sip of his tea.

"Shortly after arriving in this world, I was confronted by the boy. He held a black keyblade in one hand, and a white one in the other. He asked my business in his world, and I simply introduced myself.

"When he saw I meant no ill will, he lowered his weapon, and gave me his name: Roxas. I asked him what he was doing in that world, and he told me he lived there. He had woken up in Twilight Town, and a man in a black coat found him and brought him to the dead world to live. He was allowed to come and go as he pleased, but his job was to kill as many heartless with the keyblade as he could. I asked who the man was, and he said he couldn't tell me. The man was his master, and the only friend he had. I told him I would be his friend without being his master, and then I told him he could visit me in Radiant Garden if he ever needed someone to talk to."

"And did he?" Asked Riku.

"He did. I even introduced him to some other youngsters in the town, Lea and Isa. He came mostly daily, though he always returned to his world once the sun set."

"Wait," Riku asked. "You said he was highly suspicious. What makes you say that?"

"Why don't you see for yourself?" He turned to the corner of the room, which was enveloped in shadows. "Why don't you come out and meet Riku?"

There was some hesitation, but eventually, a young man came out, wearing a black coat and an anxious expression.

Riku stood suddenly, "wha—?" He took a few steps closer. "Ventus? No..."

Indeed, Roxas looked like Ventus, though a bit younger, about Sora's age.

"So you can see why I was concerned."

"I don't understand."

"Roxas, will you tell him what your name used to be before your master renamed you?"

Roxas leveled his gaze on Riku, and said with clear diction. "Sora."

Riku's reaction of doubt and confusion was expected.

"You see," Ansem continued, resting a hand on Roxas' arm. "Roxas is a nobody. Sora's nobody."

"So…Sora turned into a heartless? Then why is he a person now? And why does he look like Ventus then?"

"I have only theories, unfortunately. One of them being that this 'master' of his is acquainted with Sora at some rate. As for Roxas' likeness to Ventus, I believe that also has to do with the traitor. I think this individual is the same that divided Ventus' heart several years ago. I remember in those days, Ventus' healed quicker when in the presence of Sora, which leaves me to believe that part of Ventus' heart was _within_ Sora."

"You're not saying that Sora's the traitor, are you?"

"No. I believe our suspect was active long before Sora was even a keyblade wielder. Whether those pieces of Ventus ended up in Sora on purpose, or as a consequence of Sora's strong heart, I don't know. As for Sora, I don't believe he actually ever became a heartless, but I do think that a very powerful darkness resides within him, and someone stirred it up, creating a nobody, and who knows what other chaos."

As Ansem explained this, Roxas sat on the edge of the desk, and continued to watch the others with a critical gaze.

"How do you know it was another person? When we were there in Deep Jungle, we saw a beast that…sort of looked like a heartless, but had red sharp eyes, instead of round yellow."

Ansem asked Roxas. "Have you heard of anything like that?"

The boy shook his head. "Doesn't sound familiar. Nobodies are usually metallic looking, and have slits for eyes. I'll keep an eye out though."

"What happened to the creature? Is it still there?"

"No…we were going to tell you as soon as possible…Sora's keyblade…well, I really have no other way to say this. It ate it."

"His keyblade ate it? What do you mean?"

"His keyblade is supposed to look like Mickey's. Right?"

"It looks like the Kingdom Key D." Mickey clarified, summoning that blade. "This isn't actually mine. I found it in the realm of darkness. But, yes, Sora's looks almost identical to it. Just different in color."

"Well, it doesn't look like that anymore. It's all gnarly and broken and it has these long, sharp pieces that look like claws on it. Sora saved us from the beast by sending the claws out and ripping it to pieces, but the keyblade absorbed the bits and Sora blacked out."

Yen Sid hummed in thought, "I don't like the sound of that. I fear that it's not the keyblade we have to worry about."

"Tarzan said that wasn't the only creature like that. There's been a bunch of them, and they always go after Sora. No one else."

"This is even more evidence to support my theory." Said Ansem, thoughtfully. "Mickey and I shared thoughts on Sora's disappearance, and that it wasn't an accident, or a wild animal."

Riku gasped slightly. "You're not insinuating that _Master Eraqus_ purposefully left him there, are you?"

"No. Not Eraqus. Rather, I think our traitor is Master Xehanort."

"Master Xehanort? But…but he couldn't be. He has always been on the side of light. He even helped me banish the darkness within myself!"

"Xehanort chooses to tread the line between light and dark." Yen Sid corrected. "He understands that the world must exist in balance. There can be no light without darkness. And yet, he is very emphatic about this belief. There was always a hint of doubt within me in regards to his trustworthiness. Even as a keyblade Master. Even still, we have no solid proof. Only tiny doubts."

"Like what? So far, all you've said could really be anyone. Even someone we've never met before."

"True." Agreed Ansem. "Which is what brings us back to the fall of Radiant Garden."

Riku had almost forgotten about that in the wake of all this news.

"Roxas' came and got me when the invasion started. It was early in the morning, when most people were asleep. His Master said that Maleficent had amassed an army of Heartless to storm the castle, and he knew he wouldn't be able to stop her. Instead, he came to find me to find a way to help. We looked for the Princesses, but it seemed like they had hidden somewhere. We could not find them, and the castle was quickly being overrun with heartless looking for me. We took a hidden passage, which allowed me to spy on what was happening throughout the castle, and…I found my beloved apprentices…Braig, Dilan, Aeleus, Even, Lea, Isa…and even little Ienzo. They were all gathered, captured and brought to the Great Hall where Maleficent had made herself at home. Only she wasn't alone in her conquest. There was the man in a black cloak, and another younger man, wearing a helmet. Roxas didn't say, but I knew the man had to be his so-called master." He clenched his eyes shut, recalling the memory. "The boy with the helmet wielded a keyblade, and before my very eyes, struck down my apprentices, each one of them succumbing to the darkness. I was completely helpless to stop them. All we could do was flee."

"I would have stopped it if I could," Roxas defended. "But my Master has forbidden me from speaking his name, or from interfering with Maleficent. No matter how much I try, I can't seem to fight him."

"Such is the power of manipulation." Yen Sid assured. "It's not a loyalty to him that prevents you from helping us. It's his magic. By him giving you a new name with a sigil, he has control over you, at least to some extent."

"Sigil?" Asked Roxas.

"Your name is an anagram of Sora, with an X added. The X is a sigil, or a mark. Knowing someone's name can allow for a certain control over them, but giving them a new name with a sigil…I can't begin to imagine what he could do."

"Then, should Roxas even be here?" Asked Riku. "What if Xehanort forces him to tell him about us?"

"A keen observation, Riku." Yen Sid praised. "Now you see why we decided to tell you, and only you."

That was not entirely clear, and he communicated this with a frown.

"If we play our cards right, Xehanort will never know we suspect him. The temptation to tell Eraqus would be too strong for Terra, Aqua, and Ventus. And Eraqus, though his heart is in the right place, has known Xehanort all his life. Without any definitive proof, he surely would confront Xehanort for answers. You, on the other hand, are much more likely to come to Mickey or myself if you're unsure of something."

Riku had to admit it, they had pegged him true. He had nothing against Eraqus, but Yen Sid had taken up the role of trusted mentor first. He definitely saw that the others thought of Eraqus as a father figure, and would feel guilty hiding this from him.

"I understand now." Riku said, with a nod.

"Of course, as a master, you will be expected to share this information with the others when you deem it appropriate. And we expect you to come to us if you see anything that can be considered as proof. For now, I think it would be best if you pretended like you know nothing. I wouldn't even mention Roxas."

"Yes, Master."

"And Roxas," Yen Sid addressed him.

"Yes?"

"We would appreciate your help anyway you're willing to give it. But it would be unfair to ask you to do anything that could cause…harm."

"It's alright. Ansem has shown me what real friendship is, and I want to help my real friends. But…"

"Just do what feels right." Riku smiled.

Roxas returned it. "Lea and Isa…no, Axel and Saïx now…they live with the others in The World That Never Was. But…they're different. Colder."

"Such is the nature of a nobody," Ansem observed. "Though you seem to be an exception. Perhaps it is your connection with Sora which gives you the ability to feel."

"How did you…you know, _happen_?" Riku asked.

Roxas gave a half smile, and shook his head.

"A forbidden question then. Too bad."

"I'm sorry, I gotta go. If I stay too long, the others will be suspicious."

"Roxas, before you go, one more question." Ansem spoke up.

"Hmm?"

"The others…are they worried about me? Or…?"

"I'm afraid they think you abandoned them. I didn't correct them though."

Ansem nodded. "Such as I thought. Thank you, Roxas."

"Later then." A black portal appeared, and in the next moment, Roxas was gone.

"What a nightmare." Ansem lamented.

"I should probably get back to the others too," Riku suggested.

"Yes, and could you send Kairi when you do? You may tell the others what happened, but I think it's best if she hears it from me."

"Sure thing." He stood. "I'll keep my ears out for anything regarding Xehanort." With that, he headed back to the library.

Ventus, Kairi, and Sora all sat on the floor, as Terra and Aqua almost poetically regaled them of stories of their travels. Of course, everyone had had equally fantastic stories of the worlds they visited, but every world was just a little bit more amazing than the last.

"And then the pirates started shooting canon balls at us! While we were flying up in the sky! There was no protection, only clouds to hide in. A canon ball hit my shoulder and left a nice bruise!" Terra said.

"I, on the other hand, just practiced my shield summoning," Aqua boasted.

"Well, I could fly and dodge, or I could summon a shield, I can't do both Aqua."

"Because you haven't been practicing!"

"I didn't need to!"

"Or so you think!"

Riku knelt down next to Kairi and spoke quietly to her. "Hey, your uncle is here. He's in the next room, and he wants a word with you."

"Oh!" She stood. "I wonder what about? I hope everything is alright. I'll be back in a minute then."

In their argument, Terra and Aqua didn't even notice that she left the room, but Sora had. He crawled his way over to Riku, resting his hands on his shoulder, and leaned meaningfully towards the door.

"She just went to talk to her uncle. You remember Ansem the Wise, right?"

Sora didn't respond, just kept looking at the door.

"Huh? Did you say Ansem the Wise is here?"

"Yeah…um. It's not good."

But before he could elaborate, Sora winced out in pain, holding his chest.

"Sora? You okay?"

He didn't acknowledge them, and hurried out of the room on all fours.

"Sora!"

The group ran after, hearing the door slam open down the hall.

Sora burst into the study, only to see Kairi in tears, being held by a man vaguely familiar. He didn't care what happened, he just knew that she was in pain. He was in pain, because she was in pain, and he just wanted it to stop. He pushed passed those in his way and gathered her up in his arms.

"S-Sora?" She whimpered between sobs.

He nuzzled her face with his nose, trying to stop her tears, but not knowing how.

She drank up the affection, clinging to him and crying harder.

By then, everyone was at the door, watching the scene unfold.

"What happened?" Aqua asked, looking to Ansem, who was also teary-eyed.

"Radiant Garden has fallen."

In a clamor of footsteps, Kairi was embraced from all sides. Her hair was pet, her shoulder rubbed, her hand squeezed in assurance.

Ansem watched the scene with hope in his heart. She had a second home, and the last princess was undoubtably safe.


End file.
